Resonance of Time, A Magic the Gathering Story
by Kailyn Roesung
Summary: *Takes place during the Infinite Maze Arc* Jace Beleren is still in the conquest of discovering the extent of his talents. When he has a chance encounter with a very strange Wolf, everything he thought he knew changes, along with an interesting curiosity for something different in his life.
1. Chapter One

There is an old legend of a wolf who could travel through Time, from the ancient era of temples and pyramids to the far future of technology even yet to be discovered. No one has ever personally met this wolf, let alone even seen him. From the legends they called the wolf Dream Strider, since he could appear in dreams if he chose to. Though, once more, no one had come forward with this in truth. In other legends the wolf was called the Resonance of Time; as he would arrive at a certain era, he'd let loose one howl, and only one, allowing his song to carry on in the night.

The first time Jace Beleren saw the Wolf in Ravnica, he thought nothing of the midnight-coated, heterochromia-eyed (the right eye blue, the other golden) Wolf. The young telepath was in the central district of the city, close by to a water fountain near a well-known dining square. He had finished some business with the Azorius and figured he'd take a moment to soak in the city splendor. What he hadn't counted on was the unusual attraction on four paws that would not only draw his attention, but ensnare it completely.

He saw the Wolf racing madly through the city, pursued by Rakdos and by Liliana. It was...equine-height, which made him at first think it was a werewolf, but as the beast galloped by, he quickly noticed his pursuers and rose to his feet. Why would Liliana and Rakdos have such a massive amount of interest to such a creature? Rakdos, for their underground worships, it was not uncommon, but for Liliana, a necromancer and demon summoner to give chase as well...

Jace frowned and watched the Wolf make a hard turn for the right and into a narrowed street. He shook his head and hurried to his feet. He followed the hunting party to the street they had turned into and found his eyes on a peculiar sight: The Wolf had managed to climb onto the balcony of a residential apartment, the inhabitant inside having locked the door so that he could not get in. Below in the street, Jace noticed the Rakdos team pacing, thinking carefully of how to continue their hunt. Liliana was vaulting her way to the Wolf, and eventually the Rakdos team followed suit. He looked up at the Wolf.

The beast, whilst observing his pursuers, was majestic at best, much like the sphinxes. His dark coat gleamed blue and violet in the sunlight. A raven wing was outstretched to balance the loss of a left foreleg. Jace studied a faint mottling of discolored fur under the coat and deduced that the injury was, at best, an old one. He looked at the Wolf's face.

There was no grey to be seen on his handsome features. Both eyes looked upon his pursuers with a playful gleam yet bright and cautious at the same time. The pupils were slightly small, allowing the irises to have a brighter shine. The more Jace looked upon the Wolf, he had no realizing that, in turn, the Wolf had seen him.

Jace's mind reached to the beast, hoping to see how he came here. However, as his mind sight found, the Wolf's mind was...misty, and it felt as though it was reflected right back at him in a smoky mirror. He couldn't see the Wolf's mind, since it was too well protected, and even a slight prod produced a strange reverberating noise of...wineglasses?

Although Jace could not see what the Wolf was thinking, nor could he find the memory of how he came here, his ears could pick up a child-like melody of a cello, an Oriental flute and an acoustic instrument of sorts from the Wolf's mind. The music was as it was: playful.

Jace watched Liliana and Rakdos climb closer to the Wolf, and the beast leapt for another balcony with a strange feline grace. He continued climbing until he reached the top dome of the building, and even then Rakdos and Liliana were beginning to see their efforts futile. When the Wolf found them having paused in their climb, he settled to rest over the roof, watching them.

Liliana just groaned in annoyance. "This is not worth it," Jace heard her cry, and he watched her slowly climb down. The Rakdos found themselves agreeing with the buxom woman, and as their feet set on the main street, they dissipated. Liliana stayed where she was, foot tapping while she watched the Wolf.

"Lose your game?" Jace asked the necromancer and approached the woman. Liliana looked over and spotted the Telepath approaching. Since their last talk, things had been tense, but Jace was curious.

"I suppose you could say that," Liliana huffed in annoyance. Her eyes traced the Wolf on his high perch, and she shook her head. "He'd be a fine demon had he not refused me!"

"Demon?" Jace questioned. He hadn't seen the Wolf give off any demonic airs, so the remark of enslaving him certainly made him uneasy. "Doesn't look like one to me."

"That's what I thought too," Liliana agreed. "But he's got an air around him, especially that blue eye of his. I took a glimpse of him when I saw him earlier, and I happened to see my Fate."

"And?" Jace pressed.

"It was glorious," The woman beamed proudly. "I could see all my hunting paid off." Jace sighed; Liliana had been on the hunt for her demons she made contracts with for years now, but the idea of her hunting paying off? He asked, "What, does that eye see the future or something?"

"I guess you could say that," Liliana mulled. "At least, when I glanced upon it. The Rakdos men that were with me claimed to have seen their futures as well. Apparently whatever they saw didn't appeal to them very well, but they still went with me to hunt him down. As you can guess, for their Cult worship of an animal being able to see the future."

"I try not to meddle with the Underground," Jace muttered. He watched Liliana smirk and tease him, "Oh? Because you don't want to set yourself up, hmm?"

Jace looked at the woman. He decided he had enough, and stated plainly, "Good day to you." He watched her stalk off and averted his attention back to the Wolf. The beast seemed relieved that his pursuers had dispersed, and Jace watched the Wolf bow his head in thanks. An imaged flashed in his mind: his apartment at night. Jace was standing by the fireplace, and the Wolf, in human form, was with him, talking to him, but no words could be made out.

Jace blinked a bit, but then a soft voice entered his mind: Meet me there. Jace watched the Wolf stand and leap over the domes towards Jace's residential district. Jace nodded slowly. He turned and made his way back to his apartment. Luckily he was done for the day, and there were no other tasks to be completed at the moment.


	2. Chapter Two

Jace found himself at his apartment as sunset gave way to nightfall. He sighed and looked about the dark vicinity of the place. He shook his head; why would anyone want to come here? Especially the Wolf?

He sat down at his dining room table and lit his fireplace. His eyes trailed over the dancing flames, losing the depths of his thoughts in the glimmering embers. Much had been happening as of late. Markings have appeared in the Tenth District, and so far he and his acquaintance, a vedalken named Kavin, had no luck deciphering what the markings were. Within the first month, they barely had anything other than gibberish that did not connect.

He rubbed his temple; He was frustrated. The markings, what did they all lead up to? It was a question he wanted answers to, but as of the moment, he had no lead.

Your active mind indicates frustration.

Jace shot to his feet, turning to see the Wolf in the room. Wait, how did he...?

Through the Shadows, The Wolf answered him. Surely other competent creatures with a hand of magic is able to travel through solid stone in the shadows of nightfall where light is weakest.

Jace had no words to say. However, this Wolf had to know what he was dealing with, and who he was talking to.

"Who are you?" He asked.

A wolf passing by in Time, The Wolf answered. I am of no importance to you.

"A name would still be appreciated," Jace grumbled. He stood by the fireplace, and the Wolf strode closer to him. He stiffened.

You're frightened of me.

"Why wouldn't I?" Jace asked. "A Wolf the size of a horse in my home? With large teeth strong enough to crush my skull?"

Is that how you make me out to be? The Wolf cocked his head to the side. Or to every wolf you meet? Are we so cruel and heartless to you, human?

Jace paused. Why was he saying things like this? Was he truly just afraid of the sheer size of the Wolf who stood before him? Or every wolf he met? He lowered his head in shame. "I...I'm sorry."

Don't be.

Jace's head shot up at the response. "What...?"

Mankind, elvenkind and other humanoid creatures have a deep, instinctive fear of wolves. It's not uncommon to see such a fear breach the surface behind a man's mask, The Wolf explained. And for that, I feel sympathy for you. I understand how and why you would be afraid, and you have every right to be.

Jace stared. This Wolf...spoke far wiser than what he had been used to. He was understanding of Jace's inert fear of wolves, and for that, he even granted him the full right to be afraid of him. But now that Jace had heard him through...he didn't feel as frightened anymore. He hummed.

By the way...it's Catori, from the realms of Escar, Terralis, and Earth. I travel through Time to keep a steady eye on those whose destinies have been predetermined. I have been called many names during my time: Anubis of Egypt, Cu Sith of Scotland, Ookami in Japan, The Big Bad Wolf in children's stories, and Totem Spirit to many Native American people, The Wolf stated.

"Ookami...?" Jace rolled the word in his mouth. He had heard of the word before in Kamigawa, but the people had referred to them as "Wolf Spirits". To them, Ookami were mere legends.

"So what brings you here to Ravnica, Catori?" Jace asked.

Laying low for now, and hoping to have a nice escape, Catori answered. His withers rose and fell in a shrug as he added, I tire of the other realms, as Fate is but a constant Wheel of Time. I figured I'd come here and spend a little away time and ensure that the Planeswalkers follow their Fate Scrolls.

"You know about...?" Jace caught himself and nodded slowly. "How...?"

I've passed by here before. How many times need I say? The Wolf answered him. But I stayed for a brief term. Though coming back has only shown me how much things have grown these past several centuries.

Jace tilted his head. Catori, from travelling through Time, was probably ageless, and knew some things here and there.

With that said, Catori went on, I was wondering if I may wander the libraries here in the city. I hear they're the best resources.

Jace's brows shot up. Was the Wolf asking him for permission? "Why would you ask for my consent?"

A Telepath holds the very map of the world in his mind, Catori stated. Plus, your destiny will allow you to hold the very laws of the city in your hands. You could choose to reign the City, but your personality and your virtue root you from such a luxury.

Jace's eyes widened. Catori...knew what he was to accomplish in the future? Holding the very laws of the City in his hands? Could he carry such a responsibility?

"If...that is what you'd like."

A smile worked its way on the Wolf's face, tugging his lips into a lupine grin of sorts. His tail slowly wagged in appreciation. Jace smiled in turn.

"Also...do you have a human form?" Jace asked, out of curiosity. "It would make me feel comfortable speaking to you than I would an animal. People would believe me a madman for such a habit."

The Wolf nodded. By the light of the moon glancing on his fur, he shrank from four legs to two, and grew by two inches in height. The light dimmed.

Catori stood before Jace in simple travelling attire, a navy blue cloak covering his left shoulder. Under the cloak was a deep black haori and kimono of a stronger shade of blue with silver trim, on his wrist a vambrace of dark leather with metal designs of sorts. Around his waist was a deep golden obi, finishing his attire slate grey hakama that transitioned to a snowy white hem. His tabi boots were of black leather dye, with surprisingly thick soles ridged for traction, and over them greaves of similar design to his vambrace.

His face belied his Oriental attire, semi-rounded yet sharp to show adulthood, unblemished skin like a clean, up-kept prince. His golden eye peered at Jace, or through him, the other curtained by his deep midnight bangs like his wolf fur, a sided ponytail draping his right shoulder and down to the middle of his breast. Atop his head were alert wolf ears, and about his feet curled his wolf tail.

Jace took a moment to see what he was seeing. Catori in his strange attire, broad-shouldered, yet handsome and young face with eyes that had seen much and shone with a crisp clarity. The air around him was ethereal, nobility tempered with modesty, an air fit for the palaces and courts, not among the lesser paid folk.

"You dress like a journeyman, yet the air around you is like that of a lord or even a shogun," Jace noted. Catori gave an absent shrug. "I dress in comfort and for function, not for anything more."

Jace snorted and nodded. He tilted his head to the angle of the cloak, seeing that his left was completely veiled. He recalled the Wolf being three-legged, but Catori's humanoid form showed otherwise. If anything the cloak hid the lost limb too well.

"Your left arm," Jace asked, "What happened to it?"

Catori took a moment to think of how to answer, but a smile worked its way on his face. The smile gave him a comfortable sense of warmth, and Jace liked it for some reason. "Sibling rivalry, that's all that needs to be said."

"Ah," Jace nodded in understanding. Two words were enough to tell a story, and that was all he guessed Catori cared to share. He glanced up at the night sky, seeing how late it got.

"I should leave you to your work," Catori bowed to the Telepath and turned, reverting back to his Wolf form from the glancing light. Jace watched the Wolf stride confidently to a dark corner of shadows in his apartment, and was gone in an instant. Jace hummed in wonder. What all did the Wolf know about him? Maybe, depending on what he could pry from the Wolf's reflective mind, he could figure him out, and maybe whatever the Wolf knew, could be of some use in the coming days...


	3. Chapter Three

Sure enough, Jace found the Wolf around the Azorius library, trying to get in. It had been a week since the Telepath saw the Wolf, but in seeing him again, it brought him a little delight. Catori had hidden his wolf ears and tail in favor for his full human form and was speaking with a guard. Jace was at a cafe just blocks away, but he could see what was going on. He shook his head and eavesdropped on the conversation.

"I can assure you, if I were to have permits on my person I'd provide them. Alas, I do not. However, that should not discriminate a guest from usage of a public library," Catori spoke plainly.

"I am sorry but if you don't have permits, you cannot enter," Said the guard. And go bugger off while you're at it; you make me nervous, Jace could hear the man's thoughts. Jace laughed quietly and watched on.

Catori's expression was unreadable, poker-faced at best. But Jace could see his golden iris gleam in anger, and a grin worked on his own face. However, the Wolf only nodded and walked away. Jace tilted his head. He was giving up?

He stood from his hiding place and stalked after Catori, using an illusion to keep himself hidden. However, the Wolf took, once more, to the dome rooftops to think, and Jace climbed after him. It was a good thing too, as Jace found a squad of Rakdos guildsmen resuming their hunt for the Wolf. Among the Rakdos faces in the town, Jace found Golgari guildsmen wandering through town as well as Selesnyan members. He shook his head; just about every single Guild was out for the Wolf.

He looked up and found Catori watching them below from the top of the dome. He joined him.

"Not even your first week and the whole city is still after you." Catori heard Jace as the Telepath sat by him. The Wolf turned and smirked. "My luck is like a two-sided coin; either I get a lucky head or an unlucky tail."

"An odd expression from a cryptic," Jace teased. Catori chuckled in response. He asked him, "What brings you?"

"I overheard your trouble with the Azorius library," Jace told him. "I think I can help you get in."

Catori arched a brow. "You think? How so?"

Jace nodded. "Permits in the city have to be obtained through Azorius, since they're the lawmakers' guild. Once you get one, you can get into any library. The problem is that they have to take the time to handle the documentation until they can give you one."

"Given how much other people have to obtain their permits," Catori noted. "I'd imagine they have to take a few weeks."

"Essentially," Jace nodded. "but why do you need to visit the Library?"

"Why not? Catori asked, "I'm a man of books; I want to have a clear understanding of what I'm dealing with, by city laws, the Guilds, everything I can get my hands on. Even the races here and their cultures."

Jace hummed. He stroked a hand over his chin and then decided, "If I take care of the documents, then you can use my personal library all you want."

"A Mind Sculptor, giving the Wolf permission to read his books?" Catori asked. He smiled and nodded. "Very well."

Jace nodded and led him back to his apartment, and just in time. A Vedalken, Kavin, waited at Jace's door. The moment he turned to see Jace and his company, he paused. "You bring company now, Master Beleren?"

"Don't mind me," Catori remarked, earning a surprised look from the other. Kavin looked at Jace, and the Telepath shrugged. "If you have anything on the markings around District 10..."

"As a matter of fact, I do," said the Vedalken. "I just don't think its wise to have extra company looking into this..."

Jace hummed and turned to Catori, giving a questionable look. If the Wolf travelled through Time...it was dangerous to know what could be awaiting his future if it had anything to do with the odd scribbles he had been seeing in the city. On the other hand, it would be useful in having some form of awareness of what was going on.

"My company happens to be able to see ahead of our time," Jace said pointedly to Kavin. He nonetheless welcomed them inside, and Catori's attention was directed not to the books, but the acquaintance as he handed him his notes.

"There seems to be a strong connection to the guilds with the markings," Kavin explained, as he had pointed out the Guild banners and the markings they had found. "For it to be in the Tenth District, it does make me wonder that the Guilds have something to do with just that area alone."

"Not only that," Jace added, "We're already in enough scrutiny in the eyes of the Izzet League."

He turned to Catori, watching the Wolf stare at the markings. Catori closed his eyes and looked away. Jace knew that the Wolf was aware of something...but he was reluctant to share. The Vedalken looked between the two, and he dared to ask, "Do you know something we do not?"

Catori looked at Jace and Kavin. He reached up and moved what looked like a cloth eyepatch and his bangs aside, revealing the blue eye. A radiating magic seeped from the eye in a ghostly glow, and Catori reached over to wave a hand over the markings.

He shaped the markings out of pure blue light and placed them to one side, then his wing brushed over the blueprints of what appeared to be the outlines of Distric Ten. He placed the outline center of the table and laid the guild markings over it. The light magic did the rest, placing a specific location per marking.

"It's a Maze," Catori explained plainly. "A Mass Trial for the Guilds. Any who are deemed guilty would be dealt the Verdict of Azor as decreed by a Bailiff of the Forum of Azor. Any who were worthy of the Trial would become a Guildpact, the Law of Ravnica's Guilds."

Jace and Kavin watched Catori. They looked at one another.

"A Maze?" Jace asked. Catori nodded and recovered his eye. "I'm not sure the purpose of the event, besides the designation of a living Guildpact, but even so, if the investigation continues like this, you will find the answers you seek. However, you should know that if you are to abandon this and erase everything you found out, you find yourself in dire consequences. You will have more enemies than you would allies."

"What would happen if I were to erase my memories?" Jace pressed. Catori's ears flattened as his eye narrowed. He sighed. "Too much to share and too many battles to fight, Planeswalker. Would you rather stay alive and have the strength to protect those you keep close?"

Jace opened his mouth, then closed it. The Wolf was onto something... "So...you mean to say that my acquaintance and I should continue the investigation?"

"Essentially, for your survival, and for everyone else's," Catori answered. "You both placed in several months of work, six to be exact. It's already been less than that at best, and even then the events haven't fully unfolded yet."

Jace's eyes widened. SPOILER! He barked, "THAT LONG?!"

Catori groaned in annoyance and gave him a flat look. "You did ask...I could have said no." Sarcastic bastard...

Jace nearly seethed, but Catori's flattened expression resumed to his usual poker-face. Jace calmed. No, the Wolf was right; He had asked, and his answer was there. They had what they knew now.

"Catori..." Jace started, "If...there's a way that you can show me the consequences of the alternative action, it'd be helpful."

Catori frowned. "You do realize that if I show you what will happen, it is likely the events will change in a different manner with your awareness of the circumstances?"

Jace caught himself. Was it worth it then? He hummed and thought about it. He then nodded. "Yes."

Catori sighed and approached Jace. Now that Jace could see him closer by a half arm's length, the Wolf was near equal height, shaved by an inch and a half with Jace's hood down. He uncovered his eye and closed the golden one. His wing stretched and wrapped around Jace, veiling his sight from Kavin's prying eyes.

"It's best that he doesn't watch," Catori decided. Jace nodded and stayed his eyes on the blue Eye. Nothing but the deep, icy cold blue held him, mind, body and soul in place. Nothing seemed to be happening, but Jace's ears rang otherwise. The world groaned and creaked under his feet, and color melted away while the world groaned to a stop. Jace wanted to look around, but Catori's Eye held him. In moments, subtle images came to him, the images of Emmara visiting, giving him a wooden pendant, and tracking a man named Ral Zarek to Niv-Mizzet. The memories played on, concluding his findings, then erasing his work, and from the erasure, Emmara was kidnapped by Rakdos. Jace watched as the Azorius house pursued the Telepath and his accomplice Ruric Thar, the Rakdos nightclub and the blood witch Exava, and following a leyline to the Golgari territory of District Ten to find the vampires Varolz and Mirko Vosk.

The memory continued with Emmara and Jace retreating to Vitu-Ghazi, where Jace is treated with cold welcome, and is later sent away from the Conclave. He seeks out help with Lavinia, and when that failed, he sought out Ruric Thar yet again. He saw a battle ensuing, but it ended in a riot from Exava's cultists. In a last ditch effort Jace found himself creating a Rakdos illusion to distract the cultists for escape. From the Conclave finding them, to Niv-Izzet blurting the secrets of the Maze, to Lazav rescuing Jace into the hands of Mirko once more, Jace realized what Catori had meant about this.

Catori then showed him the Maze, the trial with Isperia within, his community service to the champions, and the battle with Ral leading to the Supreme Verdict, his act into uniting the Guilds, and the Bailiff naming Jace the Guildpact. Catori lastly revealed Emmara's wish for Jace to erase her entire memories of other guilds and Planeswalkers. The Memories ended, and Time returned. Color painted the world once more, and Jace found himself stumbling backwards into a chair. Kavin hurried to Jace's side, but the Telepath waved him away. He sat to catch his breath.

"You know..." He huffed. "Of all of that, and you haven't even been here for longer than a week!"

Catori sighed. "As I have said, I can see the past and the future of people around me. I know nothing of the cities around them, the Guilds, even the creatures and the deep magic in the realm. All I know is that there are those who must follow their destinies. And you? I know you have to follow yours, and you will not enjoy it."

Jace nodded.

"Berrim?" A knock sounded at the door. Jace and Kavin turned, hearing the feminine voice. Emmara? Jace called, "Come in!" He turned to Kavin and shrugged, and turned to find Catori...gone. He blinked a multitude of times, and looked around. However, the door had already opened, and the beautiful elf entered.

"It's been quite a while," She spoke softly, with gentle eyes laying upon the Telepath. Jace straightened his posture and glanced away; he was reminded how gorgeous women made him exceptionally nervous. Although mentally he was still mulling over the recent discovery of the Maze, he still felt like he was speeding away like a horse off the reins.

"So it has," He responded. Kavin smiled and parted from the pair, leaving the two in the gloomy-looking apartment. However, as Jace was about to clumsily stumble over his own toe, Catori's mind reached out and gently held him.

You worry too much. Allow me. Jace's mind was enveloped in warmth and a gentle strum of acoustic strings, and he took a gentle breath.

"How have you been as of late?" The elf asked, looking up at the Telepath. She had made herself comfortable in one of his seats, and as Jace found himself unable to answer, Catori reined him in and answered in Jace's voice, "I've been well. So much to keep up with in the Guilds."

"I'm sure," Emmara agreed. Her lips pulled a dainty smile, and inside his own mind Jace found himself shuddering. He heard Catori chuckle in amusement, and the Wolf once more answered through him, "Yes, very occupied. There's been some interesting activity from the Izzet League and the House Dimir. My acquaintance and I have, by unintentional means, caught their eye, so we're doing all we can to lay low for a little while."

What are you doing?! Jace howled with Catori. Are you trying to get her involved?!

On the contrary, Catori turned and winked at the Telepath, I'm saving your hide and her life.

Jace scowled as he watched the Wolf. He griped, and just what makes you think you're better at handling women than I am?

Shut your hole and just watch, Catori argued, and Emmara spoke up, "I see. It must be dangerous work for you."

"Agreeably," Jace (Catori) agreed. "With the markings turning up in District Ten, it's becoming quite a conundrum for me to solve. So far I have no leads for what they mean and for what purpose."

"Is that so?" Jace watched her face pull into surprise. "A good man such as yourself, stumped by a small puzzle? Vexing indeed!"

"Is it truly that small?" Jace's jaw dropped when he heard Catori's question. His pitch was in purposeful humor and interest. "A small challenge, my lady, is far too easy to complete successfully. A larger puzzle is more of a challenge. And don't you worry; I will find a way to overcome it."

Emmara laughed. Jace's lips tugged into a small smile within his mind. Catori...was good with women. He knew how to gauge their conversations, and also hint purpose of impression within. He'd have to learn how to better converse with ladies in the future as he listened to the music strumming gently in the background of Catori's always constantly clouded thoughts...

"And about yourself?" Jace (Catori) asked. "How are things in the Conclave?"

"Oh, quite well!" Emmara replied. "The Conclave have kept to themselves, most of the time. We've heard word of the Guild activity as of late, so I thought I'd come by and ask what all you've heard."

"I'm deeply honored." Jace crossed his arms in his mind and lounged back while he listened to Catori's flattery. "But my deepest apologies, my good lady. Alas, my hands are empty. I wish I could provide you with a better answer."

"So modest!" Emmara blushed, hand to her lips in an attempt to hide a smile. "Quite the attribute of yours Jace. When we spoke the first time, you were quite sad and kept to yourself."

"I do apologize," Jace (Catori) remarked, "If I have come across cold or blunt. In no shape or form was it a purposeful harm unto you."

"Not at all," Emmara replied, "And thank you so much for the apology; it's very much appreciated."

Jace nodded in his head. Yup, Catori was really great with women. He listened on to their gabbing until it was darker nightfall. Emmara stood in preparations to leave, and Catori had Jace take over.

Ask her if she would like an escort, Catori advised, especially at night. There could be thieves lurking about, and judging from her attire, she's unarmed.

Jace nodded and asked, "Emmara, may I ask you a question?"

The elf turned and looked at Jace. "Of course, Berrim," She answered.

"It is quite late," Jace explained, "And there could be thieves or even worse out stalking the streets tonight. Can I perhaps escort you home?"

"Oh, what a treat!" Emmara beamed warmly. "But I think I'll be all right. I thank you so much for your offer, though. Perhaps next time?"

"Of course!" Jace agreed, and the elf waved and left his apartment. Jace stood and stared at the closed door. He heard Catori appear behind him and turned.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?" the Wolf asked, absently checking his nails. He was leaning against the same chair where the elf sat earlier.

"Pull her into conversation like that? I can't even accomplish that, but you, you did!" Jace exclaimed. "And it worked! It bloody worked!"

"There is one thing you lack, Jace," Catori pointed out. He pointed at his chest. "You lack calmness and comfort. A woman knows when a man is nervous by his posture and how he speaks. Don't worry about having to say the right things to ring her bells. Be comfortable in yourself, and be comfortable in the presence of a woman."

"But how?" Jace pressed, walking up to the Wolf. "How do I make myself comfortable around ladies?"

"By doing this," Catori smiled warmly. "Telepaths have a weakness of focusing on the past and on the future. If they do not root themselves in the moment an opportunity is long gone before they even take the time to look. Root yourself in the moment, every second, every minute. Root yourself in your environment and in her presence. Don't worry about racing like a horse and stumbling over your own hooves. You do that, you throw the rider."

Jace blinked. That was it? "What do you mean by that?"

Catori sighed and told him, "Meaning that you need to slow your mind down and really enjoy the small treasures in front of you. They will mean a lot more to you for your well-being."

Jace blinked a little, and Catori parted from him, taking to the shadows for the night. He sat down, his thoughts overwhelmed with the laughter he heard that night. Seeing Emmara, her smile, and hearing her laugh, in addition to having felt the residual warmth from the conversation. It was a sensation he didn't want to forget.

And amongst his mullings, Jace found himself laughing softly. A true, happy laugh, his first in several years...


	4. Chapter Four

Jace sought out the Wolf the next morning and found him right where he was before: on the dome rooftops of his apartment complex. The Telepath climbed as fast as his arms and legs could allow him, all the while doing his best to not look down (He had an aversion to heights for some reason), and once the Wolf was in view, sat by him.

"Look at who's in a good mood," Catori mumbled with a mouthful of what looked like caramel-coated sugar dumplings. Jace stole one, earning a whine from the Wolf, and munched happily.

"Of course!" Jace replied. "A Wolf who's shown me the future, and also saved my hide from a disastrous date, what more can a man expect?"

"Better to not expect, and still be prepared," Catori differed, but he smiled nonetheless. Jace nodded. He then looked over to Catori's left and spotted a pair of books from his library. He asked, "You finished with those already?"

"I am," Catori answered, taking a bite of the dumpling on his stick.

"And what have you learned?" Jace asked. He took up the books and looked at them, and Catori replied, "Adequately, but my curiosity still needs satisfying..."

"Are you naturally curious?" Jace asked him, placing the books aside. He stole another stick of sweet dumplings and ate away.

"Yes and No," Catori answered him. Jace waited for a continuation of his answer, but he had nothing. He scowled, "Cryptic..."

"I know that," Catori responded, a grin tugging at the edge of his lips. "It's exceptionally convenient when you're trying to escape the heavy-talking folk."

"I know how that is," Jace sighed softly. Catori chuckled, and Jace looked over. "You disagree?"

"Your mind is constantly talking," Catori told him. "I can hear every question you have going on in your mind as we speak. Not that it's an annoyance, but it is interesting with some theories you come up with."

"I like to be aware of what I may come up against," Jace noted, biting his dumpling. He chewed for a minute and swallowed.

"You're a Mind Sculptor," Catori stated, "You already know what you're dealing with the minute you look into their minds. You can adjust memories or even erase them to your leisure, and yet you keep yourself well-protected, or some of the time."

"If not for the Eye, how else did you know that?" Jace asked, grinning. The Wolf did the same. "That's for me to know and for you to never know."

"HRRMPH!" Jace scowled. His arms crossed over his broad chest as he huffed, dumpling stick in his mouth. "A cryptic and a bastard!"

"Smartass, right back at you." Jace's stick fell out of his mouth form Catori's snarky statement. He grinned. "Okay, it's on!"

The Wolf and the Telepath laughed at their game, and by then the dumplings had been finished. They stared out into the blue sky for a while longer. Jace hummed softly.

"Say, Cato," The Telepath started. "You know a great deal about me from you being able to see the past and the future. Yet I know very little of you, save for where you came from and who you were known as." He turned to the Wolf. "Why don't you share a little of yourself?"

"Hmmm?" Catori hummed, and his ears rose and fell with thought. Jace watched the Wolf for a bit, seeing how straight-faced he was save for that grin moments earlier. Catori then smiled, seeming to finally agree to share.

"I was born in Escar, in the union of my mother Anaiyu de Saeris Galeiy and my father Raven Orion. I had one brother, Eyota, and have one sister, Ayasha. When I reached a certain age, my father brought me to the estate of his master who taught him his sword work, Master Akimoto Ryuukai. The man was very stern, but he was very wise and taught me well. I was his student for 400 years."

"Interesting," Jace listened on.

"When I returned to my home country, my father instructed that my siblings and I sought out education for our future goals. My brother and I wanted to be Lord Knights, like in the royal courts where my father remained most of his time. My sister became my mother's close student, and she delved into the preservation of our Wolf People. Since mother was the last of her kind, Ayasha believed that it was important that everything that the Wolf People had were handled with care and to be admired.

"My brother and I were competitive," Catori went on, "We constantly tested each other's limits to see who could surpass in what. We excelled in our classes, and eventually, we were able to join the ranks of the Palace Guards. By then we had made plenty of friends. There were the Serigaehle twins Odethir and Odessa, there were the vampire lion siblings Katsumi and Rukido, and there was Liabella and Tiber. The last two were children to my father's Spymaster of the kingdom."

"Nifty," Jace hummed. "Surrounded by those of equal class. I bet they were quite the crowd!"

Catori nodded slowly. He then slightly frowned. Jace saw it and tilted his head. "It was also the beginnings of change for my life, and for my brother's as well," The Wolf remarked. "There was an evil in our kingdom that threatened to haunt the history of Escar forever, but before that, I had inherited this..." His right hand went to his eye, brushing over his long bangs. Jace hummed. "So the Eye...it's not an inborn trait. It was inherited?"

Catori nodded. "A couple of thousands of years ago, there was a Demon Wolf who roamed Escar named Duyl La'haen. He terrorized the people by haunting their dreams and bringing to light their worst nightmares and their horrid pasts. He was corrupted from the evil he had witnessed over the years as a Time Wolf, and since then he sought the demise of my mother's people. He succeeded in his own way, but also failed in another when my father slew him."

Jace nodded, and Catori smiled. "But never mind that. The evil in the kingdom was another threat, a Spider Totem that was influenced by the Demon Wolf. Shaera Sa'hab had brought back the dead to life, but once my father and I overwhelmed him, he surrendered without having for me to kill him. Since then Shaera took me under his wing as a student, and taught me the ways of the Weaver. He told me that every man, woman, child or beast has a destiny. They all play a part in the melody of the world's orchestra. And once every piece is played, the woven Fate is a symphony."

Jace hummed softly. Every person or creature...a piece of an orchestra to play a great symphony? Was Life its conductor? And was Fate but mere music that circled the very world?

Catori went on about how Eyota had taken his arm by force when his father chose him to be the succeeding Highlord of Escar after him, and how he had to retrain himself to fight once again. It was also when he explained about meeting a kind-hearted Dragon from Terralis named Kaiju. There had been falling outs in many of Catori's friends' families, and Kaiju offered them a chance to restart a new life in the other world. Catori, his mother, his close friends and their moms agreed, and they were taken to the lush green lands of the other realm.

Kaiju had taught Catori much, having had sons of his own who were now grown and on their own lives. He retrained Catori himself to fight battles, and his friend Odethir even designed him a special piece of leather and steel so that the Wolf was well protected. Of course, since all was peaceful at Terralis, Kaiju brought Catori to Earth, and he and the Wolf formed the first Kami faction of Japan in the Sengoku era. At the start of the Meiji Era, the Kami saw no more need of them from the humans, and they returned to Terralis. While Kaiju and the Kami found themselves occupied with the great courts of the capital city, Catori himself busied his mind with learning new things, from the smallest of crafting and sewing, to figuring out how to build his own home while still having his strength in politics and yet tempered with modesty for casual living.

Jace found himself in awe. This...Wolf, however old he was, had a heart of a great wyrm - an ancient dragon - but the appearance of youth still blossoming. It was impressive in itself to say the least, and the fact of Catori having so much exposure to new things and doing his hardest to adapt and survive, he was happy doing so, and continued to enjoy it.

Catori's story was finished, and Jace had even yet to find something else to say. The story danced about in his mind, seeing Catori's growth from puppyhood to adulthood, and onwards, from a young soldier, to student, to Kami and to philosopher. Catori had a vast amount of teachers to look up to and learn from, and even then still had time for himself to grow and become his own person. Jace...his childhood and memories onward felt very dark and lonesome, and the Telepath knew it. His life was not as extravagant as the Wolf's, nor would it ever be. He was a Planeswalker, simple as that.

The two climbed down and into the busy streets of Ravnica, Jace having to take longer due to his aversion of heights, and the habit of avoiding looking down even for foot placement. Jace led Catori to one of his favorite streets where good coffee was sold. The moment he led Catori face first into a wall of aroma, the wolf stood there, enveloped in the delicious, sweet smell. He watched Catori where he stood and noticed his tail rattling at its end.

"I take it you like coffee too?" Jace asked. Catori nodded slowly. "Though...a wall of coffee is not ideal for a wolf such as myself."

Jace laughed and patiently waited for the Wolf's nose to register fresh air, and he led Catori to a shop. He turned to his friend, "Wait here."

Catori nodded and looked about while Jace went inside. The Telepath hadn't stepped in for five minutes when his thoughts were overrun with threatening intent.

Finally! We found the Wolf! Jace heard the twisted, dark thoughts of the Rakdos hunters, allied with the Golgari. Oh, what a pretty price his pelt would pay for! He'd make a nice sacrifice for the next ritual! Wonder what sort of demon wolf this fine specimen would be? Best to cage this animal so that he doesn't cause problems for anyone! He'd make a fine mount~! Jace's mind was continuously overrun. He realized then, that it wasn't just Rakdos and Golgari. EVERYONE had an interest for him: Selesnya, Dimir, Izzet, and Azorius

Catori snarled and took Wolf form, doing his damned best to look as large as possbile to not be taken lightly. He snapped his jowls at the Azorius and the Selesnya guildsfolk, but near his blind side he heard the crack of a whip and turned, snapping off his attackers.

Jace...any day now! Jace raced outside and stood before the group. Catori calmed as the telepath stated vocally and with his telepathy, "No one goes near this wolf! He is mine! My mount, my companion! Now go back to your daily errands and be done with it!"

The group looked at one another. Although Jace's mind was outstretched to theirs, and they knew it, they also knew that there was a bluff to his call. They looked at Jace.

Much to their surprise, Catori willed a magic of his own: he shaped a collar out of sapphire and inscribed Jace's full name around the stone, and had it stay about his neck.

Finally the guildsfolk looked at the Wolf, seeing the collar, and begruddingly parted from the two. Jace sighed in relief and turned. His eyes laid upon the collar, and he looked at Catori. "You did that?"

Gemstones are no different than regular stones and metals. They're just made of even more complex compounds to tap and pull, Catori explained. Jace smiled a little, but he was surprised at Catori's work. It...actually sat well about his neck like a collar should, and his name in the stone was well inscribed.

You're impressed, Catori noted. Shall I leave it on?

"Oh, no!" Jace suddenly shook his head and replied, "No, you can take it off now."

Catori nodded and slipped it off and over his head with care, trying to not smash it. Jace hummed.

"What other magic can you do?" he asked him, watching as Catori returned to his human form. He handed the Wolf a cup of tea instead of coffee, and the herbal smell pleased the Wolf greatly, hence his perked ears and a subtle wag of his tail.

"The magic I focus on is on a molecular level," Catori explained. "Compounds, consequential reactions, things like that."

"So...you can rely on Magic without Mana?" Jace asked him.

"In a sense yes and in a sense no," Catori explained. "What you mages and sorcerers call Mana, I call Life Energy. Its interconnected, always constant and can be tuned upon when needed most. Depending on the amount of Energy one contains in his entire being, he can move roads, even destroy mountains, or he can even bring floral life to a desert plain. Even raise water in the deepest levels of soil."

Jace tilted his head. Catori noted, "For example, this tea..." He set his cup on a table and raised the fluid right out of the cup with ease. "This tea is made of a multitude of compounds, dominantly water." He smiled, "Now watch what happens when I pull the tea apart."

Jace watched in complete surprise as Catori's water...began to clarify, and above it, the microscopic oils and powders that the tea leaves released when they steeped in the water, becoming a powdery cloud of brown above the water.

"Wh-how...?" Jace asked, bewildered.

"It's much like your Mind Sculpting," Catori explained, as the tea recomposed and dripped into his cup. "You take each and every piece of a memory, and you break it down to its main compositions: How the memory started, why it is important, and what outside influences affect the memory at play, and lastly, how important the memory is for your necessities or for the person you're Sculpting from. Tea is the same: I've broken it down to its main compositions, and that's the tea powder and oils, and the water. I could even pull sugar into its original form from the water if I wanted to. Breaking down objects into its most basic form, and the creation of objects from elements that makes up the structure, is the easiest form of magic anyone can do if they put enough concentration into it."

Jace stared at Catori's tea. He then noted, "So...the collar, that was a solidification of the original molecular structure for the gemstone itself? From the street and buildings around us?"

"That is right," Catori nodded. "Kaiju taught me that art." Jace stared at the Wolf in wonder. He then asked, "So...healing magic?"

"Healing, because it is medical based, is more finely tuned than molecular levels of magic," Catori explained, "Healing magic is on a cellular level. You have to constantly fissure your cells into multiplying so that you can heal. It takes no cost of the person's life at all, but because cellular levels of magic is organic, the process takes much longer."

"So how would one heal from a cut?" Jace asked, and Catori answered, "Simple: You will the tissue under your skin to multiply and sew itself to a close. If it's a deeper wound, you have to focus on more than just the tissue. You have to worry about the rebuilding of blood vessels and veins that have been damaged, resupply the amount of blood cells lost, and all the while will your body to sew itself together and prepare your own immune system for a case of infection if you fall ill."

"Hmmmm," Jace hummed. "Is...that something that even I can do?"

"That's dependent on your own capabilities," Catori stated plainly. "If you have the patience, and the willpower, to sit yourself to the side away from battle and focus your entire energy, no matter how much you have left, to coax yourself into regeneration. If you don't have enough energy, and have lost too much blood, or you're too heavily traumatized from an event, your body will not be as responsive, and you will find it dangerous in those circumstances, even life-threatening."

Jace nodded. He asked him, "Then...your arm...how were you able to heal?"

"I let it heal in its own time," Catori replied admittedly. "I made no force upon my body to heal quickly. In my circumstance, I was traumatized of what had happened and why it did. Had I not been, yes, I would have willed my body to heal faster, even regrow the arm if I wanted to. But I wanted to keep the loss as a reminder."

"That...?" Jace asked.

"A loss of a limb is like a loss of family: It could be replaced, but no one will do it. It's the impact that matters and the importance of it, not the impertinence of being able to be replaced."

Jace nodded. He asked, "So, I have to ask you...do you have a weakness to silver?" He chuckled. "if you are, then I'd think that would be interesting!" he kept laughing softly to himself

Catori bit his lip, and his eye contact broke from Jace. He looked away. "It's not all that great as you think it is..."

Jace's laughter ceased. He watched the wolf and cocked his head to the side. He frowned, "...you're serious...?"

"I cannot explain to you the deep fear I feel when I see silver," the Wolf sipped his tea absently. "The always-present knowing of the burn in your body, the writhing poison in your bloodstream, slowly killing you from where it laid contact on you. An alien matter invading Wolf cells, and rendering it useless to heal. It's not a pleasant experience."

"How would you know?" Jace asked. Catori frowned and tilted his head to the side a little, exposing the left side of his neck. A long, dark thin scar lined along his jugular, and he told him, "I was held hostage in Terralis by a Dragon named Jeskargir until my Master Kaiju saved my life. I will never forget that moment."

Jace ducked his head. "sorry..."

Catori smiled and finished his tea. "You have business to attend to elsewhere?"

"Not that I can think of at the top of my head," Jace answered, thankful that the Wolf had pulled him out of a dark conversation. He was embarrassed about talking to Catori about silver, and now that he knew that Catori was no different than the werewolf folk that lived in the outskirts of the city, it still gave him little comfort.

"How do you like to race?" Catori asked. "A parkour race, from one destination to the next?"

"Parkour...?" Jace asked. His head cocked to the side, and Catori explained, "You know how acrobats vault and somersault over objects and keep their balance? It's basically that at a running start, and you get from one point to the next."

"I see!" Jace grew excited. He had never done much of it in his life, but he had seen elves on the run, and thieves afoot in the city. He remembered their odd grace when they'd jump through wagons, climb walls and leap gracefully from one rooftop to another. Now he knew what Catori meant.

"Where's the destination?" Jace asked. Catori answered, "Your apartment, and this time, I cook dinner."

"What does the loser pay?"

"He has to wash dishes afterwards."

"Done!" Jace grinned, and Catori was off like a shot. For a wolf in his tunic, trousers, greaves and vambrace, his gambeson and vest, he was agile. The Wolf reached a sloped wall and jumped with his only hand to support him, and proceeded to climb his way up. Jace found himself finding wrought-iron fences and windows to climb to keep up with the Wolf. He could hear the other man's boots racing by him, and he hurried to his feet.

"Hey! No fair; that's cheating!" Jace called. Catori laughed, "Well keep up! I know you've got to be quick on your feet, Planeswalker!" Still, though...the Wolf was damn fast!

Jace found himself vaulting clear through a bell tower while Catori orangutan'ed around it, and found himself at the lead. He laughed and approached a wider tower. He cleared through one part of the wall, but he was not able to cross completely. A desperate scramble and his hands reached the edge. "Whoa!"

A sudden, dormant memory surfaced from his childhood days in Vryn. He had slipped from the edge of a conductor ring and was holding on for dear life while his classmates jeered him on. They dared him to let go and fall to a death of jutting metal and sand below, telling him he deserved the death. He remembered how deeply frightened he was, hanging by a thick copper wire that jutted awkwardly around the arc of the ring. More desperate than before, he clawed the ledge, his boots scuffing the inside, and with nothing to stand on. "Catori!"

Catori was well ahead, but when he heard Jace's cry, he stopped and turned. He saw Jace's fingertips struggle to grip the plaster tower's windows, a distance of a hundred yards. He raced over in wolf form, and just as Jace was losing his grip. "Cato, help me!" He called again. He scrambled to hold on longer, but his hands grew sweaty.

"N-no...! Not yet!" Jace fought to hold on longer, but he was down to his last fingers. His heart pounding in his ears, the Telepath closed his eyes as his last grip slipped on the plaster edge. Falling. Falling into the darkness below, he held his breath, waiting to meet his end...

...

A loud snarl sounded as teeth gripped his leather spaulder. Jace gasped and looked up. Catori had grabbed him just in time.

The Wolf pulled him as much as he could, his right foreleg rattling as he forcibly jerked his head upwards. He pulled Jace's lower torso over the edge, then grasped his spaulder and pulled again. Jace's knees and ankles scuffed the window ledge the more the Wolf heaved him over onto the tile roof. Once on solid foundation, Jace's hands searched frantically for the Wolf's fur. He buried his face into the silken coat. Shuddering breaths sounded from the Telepath, holding onto Catori for dear life, and terrified to let go.

Catori stayed still for the Telepath, letting Jace hold on as tightly as he needed. He whined softly; Jace was in shock, and he felt it from his hands and face. The Wolf wagged his tail out of good nature, trying to show Jace that everything was all right. However, he did not pull away, so Catori stayed still...

When Jace reached some point of mobility, Catori carried the terrified man back to his apartment on his back. He passed through the shadows, making the trek easier for Jace so that the pallid-faced Telepath didn't have to look out onto the rooftops or down from anything at great heights. As the Wolf strode into the apartment, he found himself unable to coax the man no matter how much he licked or tried to mentally connect with him. The Telepath gripped the Wolf's fur, too scared to let go, or even get down.

Catori searched out Jace's bedroom, a large space of square footage right across the apartment. A large bed with a side table of mahogany, on its surface an oil lamp, and a dresser filled most of the space in the room. An ensuite bathroom was across from the bedroom, a simple arc of a doorway into the small space. He shouldered the Telepath along the mattress of the bed. Jace, reaching out shakily, and with much reluctance, worked his way onto it and pulled the sheets close around him in a tight cocoon. The Telepath fell fast asleep.

The Wolf parted from Jace. He needed to let the man recuperate on his own terms, but there were still things that needed to be done. If Jace was unable to complete the tasks that was set for him, then he wouldn't be able to do anything for himself or even those around him. Catori took human form and looked at Jace's collection of notes, maps and the sketches of the symbols he and Kavin found. He hummed and looked at Jace's bedroom door. Maybe it would help if Jace, Kavin and Emmara knew what they were up against.

Catori nodded. He stood by his word to not interfere with people's destinies, but this circumstance was different. He sought out some canvas paper, paint, brushes and some water and cloth, and a few inkpens to hold close by. He then sat down, creating halos of bright ivory light above his head, and set to work painting the Maze. When two versions of that piece was finished and labeled, he continued on, painting vivid works of Jace's coming events.


	5. Chapter Five

When dawn's rays broke the solemn grey of Jace's apartment, Catori was asleep at Jace's fireplace, the flames crackling lazily over blackened wood. Kavin, Jace's archivist and trusted ally, strode through quietly, having entered the apartment with care. His almond eyes laid upon the multitude of watercolor images splayed around the table. He skimmed over the vital, detailed notes Catori left with each painting, describing exactly what each was and the purpose of each work. The Vedalken turned to the slumbering Wolf, and just as the sound of trudging feet sounded in his ears.

"Master Beleren?" Kavin asked, seeing a weary-eyed, pale-faced Telepath leave the bedroom and trudge down the set of steps leading to it. Jace groaned softly and sat down at his table, rubbing his face. "Morning, Kavin..."

"Did you do these?" Kavin asked, showing him the paintings. Jace cocked his head to the side, not registering the Vedalken's question. He then looked down at his table then realized what he was asking. Jace leaned forward and studied each piece with care, reading any notes that were tied to each work. He pulled the paintings of the Mazes and saw the details Catori left.

"You bastard..." He mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. Kavin tilted his head in a peculiar manner. "I'm sorry...?"

"The Wolf..." Jace stated. "He showed me everything that was to happen, and he was doing this not just for me, but for you and Emmara." He leaned back. "He's trying to ensure our lives. And having saved mine yesterday..." Kavin sat down and looked at the mazes. He looked up at Jace.

"What do you mean by 'having saved yours', Master Beleren?" Kavin asked. Jace looked at his friend. He pursed his lips, trying to find a way to explain without exposing much of his childhood. He decided to explain what had happened, how he and Catori were in town yesterday, then the racing experience. He went on that he had taken a miscalculation while crossing a bell tower, and that the Wolf pulled him out of it. What he hadn't disclosed was the sudden, instinctive fear that surfaced when he hung there, a memory he was sure he erased long ago. The Wolf, he admitted through his Planeswalker pride, saved his life.

Jace's ears picked up the shuffle of fur as the Wolf woke and yawned. He turned and watched as the Wolf shambled to his feet and give his fur coat a good shake, with some loose fluff wafting in the air. Jace smiled and stood. He went to his room, grabbing a brush, and returned to the fireplace. He kneeled at Catori's left side and ran the bristles along the top of the Wolf's head.

"You're shedding a little," He stated. The Wolf didn't complain, groaning happily from the stiff combing in his fur. Any time Jace found a particularly itchy area, Catori leaned on the Telepath. Jace shook his head. "More dog than you are wolf, Catori."

I haven't had anyone brush my coat in a while, Catori answered Jace smiled and picked free of one thick fluff ball and continued brushing. "What has you molting though?"

I can safely assume that summer will be arriving, Catori answered him. Jace bobbed his head; that was likely. Which meant the city was going to be mildly warm this coming season. It would be a nice change, Jace admitted. He could shed a little weight off his clothing when he went out in the city to do his blackmailing and earn his pay.

Jace's brushing from Catori's coat earned him a full basket of shed wolf wool to weave into a nice cloak. Jace grinned and collected the fur; he knew of a weaver in the city who could turn the shed fur into something nice when winter would come around. The rest of the loose ends he swept up with Wind Magic and threw away. He watched Catori stretch out on the floor and settle near the Telepath's feet. Jace chuckled. "Enjoy that?"

Catori yawned in response and preened his feathers on his wing. Jace stole a loose feather, maybe to turn into a quill pen when he wanted to. Jace looked down at his hands; they still shook from the ordeal yesterday. Even Kavin could see it. It looked like the shock hadn't left him quite yet...

"Master Beleren," Kavin spoke up, "With the knowledge of the Maze, shouldn't we be sharing this with Azorius? And when should we bring Emmara into this? If this is for the three of us to have an understanding of, then its only fair we make preparations..."

Jace hummed and turned to the Wolf.

Jace still needs to recover from his ordeal, Catori advised. A fall can jostle one's focus. However, I think he'll be suited for company in three days.

"He's right," Jace admitted, and he turned to Kavin. "I will send word for you and Emmara when I am stable."

Kavin nodded and parted from Jace's apartment. What strength the Telepath had from the morning was drained, and Jace sat down. The feather in his hand settled on the table.

Catori stood and strode over to Jace. He rested his large head in the Telepath's lap.

There is a medical study that petting induces stress relief and calms the nerves, Catori explained, This will be useful for you if you have to recover swiftly. I do not mind the treatment of a house pet status until you are stable.

Jace frowned. "I can't treat you like that."

No, Catori agreed, But consider this: what would happen if you weren't fully recovered? Not only would your friends see it, your enemies would as well, and they will take advantage of the remaining weakness.

Jace nodded. The Wolf was right, and he settled a shaking hand over Catori's head. He stroked absently while he looked at the watercolor paintings and Catori's notes.

From what the Wolf had put together, the next events that were to happen was Emmara's abduction by the Rakdos Cult. To find her, Jace found that Catori instructed the Telepath to elude the Azorius long enough to find a Rakdos nightclub. There he was to speak with Exava and deduce the location of Emmara, who was in the Golgari-controlled District Ten. From there it was explained that Jace was to fight Varolz and Mirko Vosk, and after receiving injuries, was to travel with Emmara to Vitu-Ghazi. The notes then pointed to the painting of the Conclave, but Jace was satisfied with what he wanted to read.

He looked down at his hand and raised it a little. The shaking had subsided to some extent, but it still was visible under his gaze. He sighed and read a little more, this time just for the sheer pleasure of reading...

While Jace read, Catori pulled away from the Telepath and delved into the Shadows. He traveled to Kaiju's farm in Terralis, grabbing a black rabbit, a noisy hen, a handful of the Dragon's caught fish and deer meat from the Dragon's ice box. He left the Dragon a note, telling him where he was and why he had to come by and returned to Jace's Time to prepare for dinner. When he stepped through the Shadows into Jace's apartment, the Telepath didn't think anything of it. However, the smell of fish caught his nose, and he shook his head.

"The bloody devil did you do?" Jace asked and saw what Catori had brought home. He paused and walked over. "Where did you get these?"

"I went to my Master's farm," Catori stated plainly. "I explained to him what I needed and why, and that I'd pay him back soon." He set the chicken down, and the bird proceeded to peck at his tail. The Wolf grumbled in complaint.

"Why the chicken?" Jace asked. His mind reached to the hen's to soothe it, and the hen strutted over to his hand. He spotted the rabbit Catori brought home too. Catori tilted his head. "Why not? It's meat, and it can provide eggs too."

Once more the hen proceeded to peck at Catori's boots. The Wolf whined and carried the half-thawed meat to the kitchen. Jace sighed and picked up the rabbit. "Yes but we don't have a nest for it." The rabbit settled comfortably in his arms. By unconscious mullings Jace began thinking twice about eating rabbit...

"A thick palette of old raggedy cloth and a wood crate should do," Catori explained. He shook off the hen, and the bird left him be. "Plus, if it's near the balcony it won't have to cause your home an excessive mess."

"What about the rabbit?" Catori turned and watched Jace hold up the rabbit. He noticed a begging look in Jace's eyes. "Damn you...fine!" He complied. "We keep it as a pet and not food..." He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Jace was content with that knowledge. Yes the chicken was meant to be food, but he was pleased that Catori was willing to spare at least one life out of the two. He set the rabbit down and grabbed the chicken to snap its neck. Catori looked at the dead bird in his hands. "...You're a very twisted man..."

"Dinner?" Jace asked. Catori laughed, reminded of the bet he placed yesterday. He nodded.

Catori started a pot of boiling water and plucked the feathers while Jace kept himself occupied with the rabbit, even going as far as carrying it around in his hood (Because...why not?). The Telepath placed a crate of old clothes he had from his childhood, and Catori gave the rabbit trimmings of vegetables he cut for the chicken soup. The rabbit, at the least, had a comfortable bedding and some food. A dish of water, and the rabbit was set.

Jace's nose picked up the smell of soup and looked over. It looked like Catori was finished, and he helped himself to a warm bowl of it. He smiled; nothing tasted better than someone else's home cooked meal. Thankfully it was a large pot, so it would last them for a little while.

While Jace ate, the Wolf lounged outside the balcony. He watched birds fly by and paid very little mind of Jace's wandering eyes. He knew the Telepath was trying to keep himself busy, but the incident at the bell tower couldn't be shaken off. Jace had very little memory of a time he truly was frightened of something. The bell tower woke his fears, and the Telepath was having a hard time trying to come to terms with it. If anything, Jace would find himself having his aversions to heights multiplied twicefold. It wouldn't be pleasant for the telepath, and Catori knew that.

He sighed and turned, laying his eyes on Jace. What could he do? Now that the Telepath's acrophobia woke, it would alter his future a bit. Catori had to wonder, though; just exactly how much would it alter?


	6. Chapter Six

As Catori stated, days later Jace and Kavin spoke with Emmara about the Maze, and the order of events that was to happen. Needless to say, Emmara was not pleased, but Jace didn't want to rely on the Wolf to placate her to comply. It was what was to happen, and nothing could change that.

Catori, in the meantime, was able to have access to the Library thanks to Jace's written request. He read on everything he could get his hands on, within reasonable limits. What books Catori could not find, he found in Jace's personal library. He kept a rice paper, leatherbound notebook, a vial of ink and an inkpen to keep records of the things he read and how it would be helpful for the coming events.

A month had gone, and Catori's notebook filled to the last page. He bought a second one, and continued taking more notes. When Catori was not busy absorbing the library to death, he was out with Jace on his missions to uphold his appearance as a "mount". It was interesting, to say the least, being able to travel in the quiet calm of the Shadows with Jace on his back. He seemed to enjoy working with Jace, so long as it didn't have to pertain to running on rooftops ever again, otherwise the Telepath would give him hell to no end.

During the month, usually once a week, Catori would travel back to Kaiju's farm in Terralis, and with much relief, would find extra food set aside for the Wolf to take back to Ravnica, in addition to window boxes and clay pots chock full of soil, a smaller bag of compost for it, and some seed from the previous harvest. Though, Jace found himself objecting more often due to the continuous travel from Ravnica to Terralis and back, but he couldn't stop the feeling of gratitude any time the Wolf would bring something from the Dragon's home.

The start for the next month brought with it crisp breezes and fresh aromas. Jace found the Wolf in the library, nose deep in books and scrolls galore. From what it looked like, Catori completed about half of the library's books, and his research was still ongoing. The books? The History of Ravnica, Volumes VII, VIII and IX and The Guild Pact Laws.

"You multi-read?" Jace asked as Catori flipped the pages of the books with a brush of his wing. The Wolf smiled and nodded. He scribbled some more notes and finally took a moment to look up at the Telepath. "It's a gift," He told him.

"A gift, you say?" Jace asked. He sat by the Wolf and watched him read the multitude of pages before him. He noticed that when the Wolf would stop writing to look at something in further detail, the pen would keep writing. He chuckled. "All right, so it's a gift then."

Catori only smirked.

"What all have you learned?" Jace asked him, and Catori glanced over with an arched brow. "You really want to ask me that?"

"I just want to know," Jace teased. Catori hummed; the man was asking to be indulged, that was all. He sat back, hand rested on the table. Jace asked him perhaps the easiest questions he could think of at the top of his head, and Catori answered with ease. He then tried the harder questions, and Catori was able to keep up, very rarely having to guess. Jace hummed; his curiosity was satisfied.

"You've studied well," Jace remarked,

"And you are very tactless when you ask questions," Catori smirked. He turned to his books. Jace scowled and glanced away. He fussed, "Does it come off that way...?"

"In your tone," Catori pointed out. "You're too used to interrogating people in person when it comes to questions of awareness and of keeping tabs on the information you seek to extort." He continued his scribbling, picking up where his pen left off.

Jace kept his scowling away, but then Catori remarked, "Just because it is part of your profession, it doesn't make you who you are. Nor does your Past. If anything, it should be the foundations of learning and growth. Who you are is what you define by your own actions, how you speak and carry yourself. That is...if you even care that much." Jace watched the Wolf, letting his words roll in his mind. His actions...how he spoke and carried himself...how people judged him...

Jace frowned softly. He realized something within himself. He was always judged, always seen as someone less or someone more. He was regarded with great respect or with immense hatred. His speech was picked up from those judgments. He carried himself with little care for his well-being. His actions became the consequence of those causes.

An extortionist who, in his own way, also extorted and judged himself as less than what he was...

Catori's wing rose and settled on Jace's headful of messy hair. The Telepath found his body trying to hold up the weight, and he complained, "Ah, Catori! What's this about?!"

"Stop your belittlement," Catori stated bluntly. "It becomes a weight too heavy to carry, and eventually you will collapse in it and not be able to free yourself of it."

Jace paused. The Wolf...what did he mean? "You have to take some credit of your accomplishments too, but it's whether you take the initiative to do so or not. Otherwise, you are of no good to anyone, not even yourself. Take control of the situations present at hand, and worry not about what people say about you. You are your own person; you make your own character, not the people who pay you or know your heart."

Jace nodded slowly, and Catori's wing pulled back. He ran a hand through his hair and watched the Wolf.

"I figured it's better to be blunt," Catori told him, pausing from his writing. "If I were sharp, my words would not leave behind the intention of teaching. Sharpness leaves wounds and injures the pride of a man's heart, and thus those wounds take months, even years, to heal. Bluntness is but mere bruising that heals over shorter time, and its better suited to teach those who have yet to learn." Catori looked at him, "So, which would it be?"

"I'll, er...I'll take the bruising then," Jace smiled after a little bit of thought. It seemed a bit annoying to the Telepath, being schooled by the Wolf, but while Jace would rather have the Wolf blunt and truthful, he knew Catori was also careful of his words, and he chose each reasonably and to be thought over with care. He looked away, smiling to himself.

"Well then," Catori grinned. He closed the books he was reading, and his pen laid near the notebook. "Congratulations, you've chosen the correct answer. You have now taken a further step into surviving longer than dying." The Wolf gathered the books with levitation magic and strode to put them back in their places. Jace shot to his feet stunned. He was tested?!

"Was that a test?!" He howled after the Wolf. Catori stopped walking. He turned and flashed a mischievous grin, and then continued. Jace stood there, fuming.

"It was a test...Bastard Wolf gave me a bloody test!" Jace griped. He followed after the Wolf, approaching from the right side. He found Catori braking to a halt, and he stumbled right into the Wolf. "Hey! What was that for?"

"I've not said this when we first met," Catori's tone had changed. It gave a sense of discomfort for the Wolf, and Jace could hear it. "But I'm heavily reactive at my right side. I don't want to kick you in your gut or lower, so if you could, please, walk at my left so that I can see you."

"Oh..." Jace slowly walked around him. "Right, I tend to forget you keep that eye covered for a reason."

"I have to," Catori stated plainly. "Otherwise, I have a higher chance of frightening people to the point of panic attacks or collapse if I keep it unveiled."

Jace nodded. He then noted, "You told me the Eye was inherited a month ago...You never did tell me the origins of that Eye anyway."

Catori hummed and looked around. He then spoke quietly, "Not here. Even if the Library is under Azorius there's a prominent risk of eavesdropping. We're better off back at your apartment."

"Mmm," Jace nodded and looked around. Catori was right, as some random faces happened to glance their way. Jace stiffened and turned to the Wolf. "Come on, let's grab some food while we're out. I don't want to run out of hay and vegetable trimmings for the rabbit."

"Yeah." Catori nodded. "By the way, she's asked us to call her Yuriko."

"What?" Jace paused. "The rabbit...?"

"Yes," Catori answered. "She wants us to call her Yuriko. It means lily child in Japanese on Earth. It suits her anyway, for a Telepath's pet."

Jace beamed. He looked ahead. "Yuriko it is..."


	7. Chapter Seven

Jace found Catori leading him to the vendors along the Market Squares, and the Telepath picked up some fresh hay, freshly harvested greens and even some fruit. Meanwhile Catori found fine loaves of bread and rice. As for meat...

"So where should we go if we want to get good meat?" Jace asked Catori as the Wolf carried the goods in leather strapped baskets about his neck and withers.

Kaiju's farm has plenty, Catori offered. We can go there and see if he's set any meat aside for us. He always makes sure that when he stores his meat he has extra set aside in the circumstance of company or, sometimes, for me when I'm dropping by.

"That's very kind of him," Jace regarded. "He's doing everything he can to look out for us, isn't he?"

Us? Catori questioned, looking at Jace peculiarly. He stopped walking and asked him What do you mean by that?

"I, uh..." Jace found himself at an awkward predicament. He cleared his throat, "Excuse me...I mean that, since you're his student and all, you're turning to your Master for help, and he's doing his best to make sure that you're providing essentials while I take care of my work."

Catori tilted his head. Jace glanced away. His ears felt hot, and he added, "That is what friends do, right? Look out for each other?"

I see... Catori mulled thoughtfully. The Wolf's maw pulled into a grin of sorts. That is interesting for you to say...

"What do you mean?" Now it was Jace's turn to stop walking.

You never keep anyone close, Catori remarked, Even Emmara, despite your secret fantasies about her, or Kavin, the Veldaken who's helped you so much. It's interesting to regard me as a friend, that is all. I never expected that of you, considering the loss of Kallist years ago...

Jace hummed. Kallist...the man used to be a dear friend of his. He was a blade master, and a close resemblance of the Telepath's appearance as well. People had a hard time telling the two apart, and Jace and Kallist loved to mess with their minds. However, he also remembered how the Consortium saw them as enemies, and sought to kill them both. He remembered Kallist's body dying around him, and there was nothing he could do to save his best friend.

His memories overran his thoughts. He found himself walking into the darkest void of his nightmares, endlessly to wander the dread and horror. The deep Void was nothing but vast blackness, darker than even shadows, and not even a light to lead the way. Behind him a shadowy presence stalked after him. Jace turned, seeing discolored warping around him as a set of eyes of different colors peered at him. A canid skull mask as pale as bone with six eye sockets breached the Shadows, maw opened to swallow him whole. Devilish horns crowned about the mask like an archery bow. His ears echoed with a faint calling. Jace...? Jace...! Jace!

"JACE!"

The Telepath broke from his nightmares and found himself nose to nose with Catori in human form. The Wolf shouldered the heavy weight of the baskets, but he stood as a wall for the Telepath to walk into. Jace bumped right into him and fell backwards.

"Ooowww..." Jace complained and rubbed his bruised rear end. He looked up at the Wolf, only to find Catori kneeling. He was worried, and it read as clear as day on his face. Jace didn't say a word...

"Come on," Catori sighed and helped the Telepath to his feet. He shifted Wolf form, and heaved the man onto his back. Let's go home before you lose yourself whole...

"What happened?" Jace asked, and the Wolf strode into a dark shadow in an alley. The Wolf explained, You lost yourself in the Void. And it looked like you may have run into something...

"The...?" Jace was about to ask, but Catori's voice lowered to a warning, Don't let yourself wander there, Planeswalker. The Killing God hunts those who lose themselves to the Void. He is merciless, and he will never let you go until your entire being is consumed: mind, body and even soul.

Jace's eyes widened. Catori knew about the Void. But...the thing that had shown itself inside...the Killing God, Catori called it. He asked, "What was that?"

He originated from Earth, Catori explained, A remnant of dark energy that accumulated from the legends, myths, sins and nightmares of mortal man. He was called, by my fellow Gods, Kiragami, or other times Oujoumentsu, Death Mask, or Mukougami, Void God. He is a dangerous entity that Magic cannot counter, nor will ever so long as it exists.

"How did he come here?" Jace asked.

How should I know? Catori asked. He is a demon of everything Abyssal and travels through the Void at his whim. He can choose to go wherever he pleases. He just does not actively hunt outside of the Void. Those who wander in become his prey.

Jace hummed and nodded solemnly. "Okay..."

Catori carried Jace back to his apartment, and the Telepath sat down. Yuriko hopped over and pawed the man; she was expecting to be picked up. Jace obliged, and Catori in turn looked around the apartment. He sighed.

"You asked about the Eye," He remembered, and Jace looked up from stroking over the rabbit's fur. Jace paused and nodded. He remembered asking Catori back in the library of Azorius. He turned to the Wolf.

"The Eye belonged to a Saeris Wolf, born the first grandson of my mother's kind. He was called Duyl La'Haen, the first Wolf who could master the Shadows and travel in the Dreamscape. Sometimes, if nightmares were at their worst, he'd take away some of the deep harm. However, since he had been doing this for years, Duyl began to absorb the dark nightmares to further fuel his own magic to the point of self-corruption. He began to hate our ancestor, and constantly fought with him," Catori explained.

"Duyl La'Haen eventually left my ancestor's island and travelled Escar, corrupting those who were weak-minded and vulnerable to the desire of money. He empowered one kingdom to sail to my kind's island and slay them, save for my mother. She was placed in Sumi'Taru for safe-keeping, but she managed to climb out, and since then hid on the island. Had hunters not found her and brought her to my father, they never would have teamed up to destroy the Demon, granted at the loss of an Eye, the only remnant of what goodness he had."

Jace nodded slowly. "The Eye of Duyl..."

"I prefer the Eye of Time," Catori remarked. "The name of Duyl La'haen leaves a sour taste in my mouth because of what he used to be."

"I see...So the Eye of Time, it has no control over you?" Jace asked.

"No," Catori replied. "The lingering spirit and I made peace long ago. It is now my Eye as if I were born with it."

Jace nodded, not saying another word further on the matter.


	8. Chapter Eight

Talks slowly rose about Kamigawa in the city of Ravnica, and Jace found Catori researching heavily as much as he could to learn about the place. He studied as much as Jace had in his library. When Jace found Catori reading after yet another book about Kamigawa, he noticed the Wolf looking...forlorn and homesick.

"Catori?" The Telepath asked as he watched the Wolf at the balcony of his apartment.

The Wolf acknowledged him with a twitch of his ear. Jace hummed, and his mind reached out to Catori's. The Wolf's walls were cold and freezing, as thick as icebergs, and smoky in their reflections. Jace shuddered from the cold that rippled through his body. However, as much as he was expecting protest, the Wolf did nothing. Jace would have to figure out himself how to get into the Wolf's mind...

The walls of misty reflections and ice was a labyrinth, and Jace found himself shivering uncontrollably. It was cold! Too cold even for his tastes! He kept going, if seeming for an eternity. Finally, warm sunlight came to view, and Jace walked into an open valley of green with a fine red oak house with warm stone walls. The house had thick, rice paper sliding doors and windows, the inside of the floor tatami mats about the place. Tiles roofing of deepest brown topped the two story home, with some wisteria vines grasping about the ledges. Some blooms produced an enriched, sweet and calming aroma.

Near the house was a babbling creek, as clear as glass, behind the estate a large summit crowning the valley. A breeze blew in, and Jace could smell the herbs hung in the house. He walked towards it, but he paused mid-step as he noticed Catori inside.

Catori's Wolf fur was stark white, like the sun and stars. Icy blue crystals lined along his paws and shoulders, as well as about the crown of his head behind his ears, and along his haunches and some at his long braided tail. His kind eyes looked upon Jace when he entered the valley.

It reminds me of Kamigawa, Jace remarked, striding into the house confidently.

I've researched the place, Catori added. It reminds me of my home island in Escar, Ilsed De Luenas Flura. It is an island known for its two types of flowers: wisteria and the lunar flowers that bloom here.

Jace nodded and remarked, It's beautiful.

He sighed and sat back next to the Wolf. I can see why you call Ilsed home. Your mother must have seen this place as her Paradise often when she grew up.

I can agree to that, Catori nodded. Who wouldn't? This place is quiet, and I do not have any fear of being attacked here. I know of my defenses, and even countermeasures to an enemy mind if they try taking over.

So you're willing to protect this Paradise for as long as possible...

Jace watched the quiet world around him. His ears could hear the babble of the creek nearby, the whistle of the wind in the grass. He inhaled deeply and smelled the sweet fragrance of the hanging flowers around the home. He closed his eyes and felt the soft caress of a spring hand against his skin. It…felt like home.

Catori turned and watched his friend. He rescinded his Wolf form in favor of his humanoid form and lounged back, head near Jace's shoulder. His hair was white like his fur, robes of pale blue with darker blue threading in the sleeves, and contrasting markings of white like the crystals in his wolf form. He watched the clouds roll lazily by in the brilliant heavens above.

Catori… Jace's deeper thoughts brought forth an unnerving question. It was…a topic he was unfamiliar with at best. He heard loose conversations of…particular relationships where partners were of the same gender. He knew how it was frowned upon in most parts of the City Plane Ravnica, yet in some discreet parts of the Guild districts like Rakdos and Dimir, it was viewed as perfectly normal. While those relationships were not without clear discretion, the idea of even pursuing any relationship with anyone had never crossed the Telepath's mind until now.

His mind began to fumble. How could he ask? He started, what is your…view on relationships, exactly? Do you have, um…any preferences?

He turned and watched Catori. The Wolf did not answer him for a moment. He seemed to be thinking his response over with his usual calm and collected mask. However, there was a spark of surprise in his golden eye. Jace bit his lip and looked away. Right, maybe it was a bad idea…

If I were to pursue one again, Catori finally spoke, Then again…I suppose I could. I'd feel bad about it though to an extent…

Why? Jace asked, curious.

I'd feel like I'm not honoring my loyalty, Catori explained. Especially to my past wives. Granted my daughters are in the care of their mother, but even then I worry, given how Raven likes to wander often, sometimes for days. My other wife is long deceased, and our son is currently thriving in Japan.

Jace cocked his head to the side. Honoring…loyalty?

Meaning that, if I pursue a third relationship, Catori stated plainly, I want to stay as loyal as I can however long the relationship will last. I want to be able to treat those close to me with highest respect and admiration, and when I love them, I wish to love them in my fashion, giving as little as possible if it is against their wishes, but as much as permitted when it is welcomed.

Jace hummed. Catori didn't answer his secondary question, which was of his preference. He looked to Catori, knowing the Wolf would answer that at the very least.

I know that look, Catori noted, glancing to Jace from the corner of his eye. If I had any preferences…I'd choose women over men any day. Though…I've seen of similar sex relationships go for long term as well. I can't see myself trying to follow such a lifestyle, but at the same token, there's possibilities that can make something work out of it. Who knows? At this point I'm not trying to look for love. If it finds me, it finds me.

Jace hummed. That was an answer he looked for. If Catori was not actively seeking…it gave the Telepath somewhat of an advantage. However, he reined himself. Did he want to? It was just a mere thought, right? His mind began to overwork. It was just a question! Nothing important, after all! He tried telling himself those words. Just a question, just curiosity…just?

Catori… Jace began again. No, it was not just. It was not just a question. It was not just a mere curiosity. He was seeking something, and Jace knew that. He knew himself; when there was a puzzle to pursue, he'd hunt it down relentlessly and spend days, or weeks, trying to solve it. His lips tightened in a thin line. He had to ask Catori. He felt, at that moment that if he didn't, his opportunity would slip right out of his hands.

Jace wanted to know more about Catori than he was beginning to realize. He wanted to know more about the Wolf, what his further interests were than just reading books. The Wolf had a hand in art, from the watercolor paintings he did while Jace recuperated. He had a hand in cooking, which was a bit more expected from him. Still…there was more to know, more drive to understanding Catori's true character. He wanted to know all, and understand it all.

W-would you…maybe, Jace started to ask, but his words fumbled. He was stumbling over himself. I-I mean, if you don't, I can understand. I'm just, I'd like to know…um…

Catori's face warmed into a grin, and he started laughing. Jace's face warmed, and he looked away. His cheeks warmed as his ears burned. He felt foolish for having brought up the subject. N-never mind… he sat up, preparing to leave.

Jace, Catori saying his name stayed the Telepath, and the man stopped. He turned slowly, watching the Wolf sit up slowly. He didn't say anything, his eyes to Catori's golden eye. He felt afraid now of what the Wolf would say. No… what would he say?

If that's what you wish, Catori gave a simple answer. Jace watched the Wolf as an unreadable smile painted on his face. His brain then wrapped around what the other had said, and his heart leapt. Catori…!

Jace approached the Wolf slowly. He couldn't think of anything else to concrete the finality of this newfound relationship. From acquaintance, to friend, to… Jace was nose to nose with the Wolf. Catori's eyes darted away from Jace, his cheeks warmed a pale pink. However, the Telepath grasped his chin and had him keep eye contact. He could hear Catori inhale sharply, and his golden eye met Jace's teal pair. They were searching for something…

Jace pushed himself forward. He rested his forehead on the Wolf's, his Magic breaking through. His mana reached Catori's and stroked along a heavily reserved, yet radiating energy. He pulled it through and placed his signature broken halo and single circle in its center on Catori's unmarred forehead.

"There," Jace spoke through Telepathy and in his voice. "We are of each other's heart now."

The Telepath withdrew, and the mark shimmered on Catori's forehead and his own before they faded. Jace smiled, pleased. Marked…Catori was his, as he was the Wolf's.

Jace decided to disconnect from Catori's mind. He found himself back in the apartment, and as he looked up, he could see his mark on Catori's forehead. However, as the Wolf looked back at him, he saw…regret. He cocked his head to the side.

"Your eye," Catori said only that, and Jace went to go see what he meant. He walked into the bathroom and lowered his hood. His left iris was...gold, perhaps from inheriting Catori's mana by accident when he marked him.

Jace hummed. If he inherited the golden iris from Catori…what else had he inadvertently inherited?


	9. Chapter Nine

Jace's eye was given little regard while he went about his extortions and research on the Maze. Granted the man had everything he needed to know, but he still felt that there was still some underworkings from the other Guilds at hand. He prodded Catori to share more of the Maze, and much to his surprise, Catori did not give in. He reminded the Telepath the dangers of changes in the future to come, and Jace couldn't help but respect it. He did not press the Wolf any further than he needed to know.

While Jace and Kavin worked, Catori in turn gained Jace's consent to stay in Terralis for a few days, no longer than five, with his former Master and dearest mentor, as well as his mother and the other Kami who left Earth. The world was in surprisingly much peace since the Second Flame War, and nothing had gone amiss. If anything, schools were well on the rise due to the demand in trade and careers, and even the Armies found this a wonderful progress in the growth of the Ten Nations.

When Catori returned, Jace greeted the Wolf with warm geniality. A tight embrace from the Telepath was all Catori found the Telepath giving him. He had his fireplace crackling for the summer night, and the smell of hickory seeped in despite the smoke rolling upwards in the chimney. On the sofa Yuriko was comfortably asleep, stretched out on the soft fabric. Some fur looked ruffled along her belly, so it was likely Jace had been giving the rabbit some attention.

"How was your trip?" Jace asked, and Catori sat down across from the Telepath.

"My Master, as usual, wishes you well," The Wolf answered. "He's extended an invitation for us to come when you are not too heavily occupied with your work. He says he has some armor he wishes to give you. Leather, nothing heavy."

"That's kind of him," Jace regarded. He never saw himself having a need to wear armor. But still, Kaiju making him armor was a gift Jace couldn't turn down after all the Dragon had done to help. He internally beamed as a hand unconsciously stroked along the slumbering rabbit. He couldn't have been any happier.

"Do…you want to visit Terralis?" Jace heard the Wolf ask cautiously. Jace turned to him. He hummed. "Well. I'll have to see depending on the upcoming pay from this last blackmailing. It seems like Dimir and Rakdos has been getting under mishap with the Boroz and Azorius guilds."

"Mmm," Catori hummed. Jace smiled and cocked his head to the side. "That doesn't mean I don't want to," He explained. However, he saw a grin on Catori's face. "Of course you knew." The Wolf didn't say anything, but Jace shook his head still. His hand trailed along the rabbit's fur. "So far nothing new has come up about the Maze, as far as I was able to learn from Azorius."

"You've about used as much as you could use," Catori remarked. He sipped a cup of tea and added, "I've shared as much as I could allow myself to, and the rest you have to unfold on your own."

Jace sighed. "You know, that's sort of a fun-sucking factor. It's always fun to solve the puzzle to its fullest completion," he complained.

"Jace, you already know what's to happen," Catori told him. "That will be all you should know."

Jace hummed and placed the sleeping rabbit back in her box, knowing that would be where she'd sleep for the night. He turned to the Wolf and noticed he was nose-deep in a book. He smiled and scooted close, seeing what Catori was reading about. He realized that Catori was reading his old notebook, and rested his head on the Wolf's wing.

"You've taken so much notes," Jace spoke softly, "I almost forget that you come from another plane entirely. You seem well adapted to cities that it's hard for me to think that you were not born here."

"It comes as a natural gift," Catori admitted. "Having been born in both the city and in nature, being able to adapt has become a specialty. I find the narrower streets just as much comfort as I would the forest, and the buildings as they are mountains of stone. Handmade or grown, it's architecture. There's a amount of strength and time having been put into it."

Jace nodded. His chin rubbed along the silken feathers along his chin. Catori chuckled. "Jace, that tickles..."

"Oh..." Jace paused a moment, then hummed and stroked the wing. He then asked, "If your mother was a wolf...then your father...?"

"An Escaran," Catori stated. "An archangel elf of high power. That's where the wing came from."

"You have both, I'm assuming? Just one is for cover?" Jace asked.

"Essentially yes."

"Ah..." Jace nodded and rested his head on it again, cheek against the feathers. He sighed. "By the way...I am sorry..."

This was enough for Catori to set down his notebook. Jace noticed that he had the Wolf's fullest attention from that, and he continued, "I worry, that is all. I worry about the possible occurrences that could happen if certain scenarios are changed. I worry of what new mistake I'll make, or who I'd hurt..."

"Jace," Catori spoke calmly. He rested his own head on the Telepath's and rumbled, "You worry far too much of your own accord. You need to slow down. Remember?"

Jace hummed and reflected on the conversation he had with Catori when Emmara came over, about pacing himself or lose his mind as he would lose control of riding a horse. He chuckled. "Yes, I remember." Catori smiled softly, eyes trailing the dancing flames. He seemed to be lost in the dancing embers, and even Jace found himself lulled drowsily by the warm fire. The Telepath rubbed his eyes and stood.

"Let's get some rest," He decided. He made his way to his room...but paused and turned to Catori. He told him, "Cato...I was wondering..."

"No need," Catori responded and stood, following Jace in his Wolf form. The Telepath's cheeks warmed, but a grin worked its way on his face as the Wolf loped up the stairs to Jace's room. He sighed; as much of a mind reader he was...Catori was turning the factors right around. He shrugged and followed; at least one of the two would have the bed while the other found comfort on the floor. Jace told himself; this would have to be something to get used to...

When Jace finally could get some freedom from his work, he hurried home and found the Wolf readying to leave through the Shadows to travel to Terralis. The Telepath's curiosity rose, and before the Wolf could disappear, he grasped Catori's tail.

"J-Jace!" Catori jumped and turned to his friend. Jace then realized how he approached Catori's blind side, and immediately felt guilty. However, Catori calmed and muttered, "Spook me why don't you?"

"Heading to Terralis?" Jace asked. The Wolf paused and nodded slowly. With that answer, the Telepath grinned. "Good. I'm coming with!"

Catori blinked for a moment and nodded. He gave a hint of a smile as he stepped into the dark tendrils of the apartment corner. Jace stayed close. His eyes couldn't see anything, save for blurs of grey that could have been mistaken for shapeless smoke of forms, mountains, temples, creatures, he was not sure. They rushed by him so fast that he thought himself in slow motion. However, he found Catori's pace just as fast as his own. This was enough to ease his worries.

The tendrils of the shadows broke with a bright light. Jace covered his eyes, and his ears heard the soft crackle of dirt and rock under his boots. The smell of upturned earth, animals, and a rich forest aroma brushed under his nose. Jace lowered his hand, and his eyes settled upon a farm.

The house was two stories tall, with white plaster walls, heavy stone along the main base of the perimeter, and deep dark oak wood posts and porch boards. The tiles on the roof were dark, maybe deep emerald or lapis, he was not sure. It was too dark to really tell. However, he saw the similar tatami weaving inside the house, and he smiled. He looked ahead to the field where the earth came from, and his mouth fell open. Two massive plots of land were freshly upturned, and farther away from the field was a grain field, even further an orchard. Behind the house was nothing but open pasture and a narrow river, a large barn nestled along the treelines to the left of the pasture. Cattle, pigs and elk grazed lazily with domestic fowl, paying no mind of the arrivals.

"Hello, hello!"

Catori and Jace turned, and a man rode up to the farm on a broad-chested warhorse as black as night. Jace's eyes trailed from the warhorse itself to the rider, black hair well past the man's middle of his back, and a trimmed sheen of black over his lip and about his chin. His eyes were deepest red, like garnet gemstones. They gave Jace an odd sense of warmth from within, like the embers of a fire to ward away the threatening cold of winter.

The man's attire surprised him just as well. He wore the traditional collared undertunic of deep grey with steel and brilliant bronze vambraces, steel chainmail and an overtunic of red with elbow-length sleeves embroidered at the hems with gold and black. Over his clothes was a pitch black gambeson vest with mink fur along his collar, the hem of where the sleeves would have connected, and the bottom of the gambeson. Along the buttoning was gold and red embroidery, small along the stitching but enough to give a royal impression.

The air around him was an air that even a king could not attain. It was immense with power, so much strength that Jace could feel its weight from the distance. It was comparable to something like Nicol Bolas, but... No...this aura was not dark at all, but brilliant like the sun. This energy was too radiant yet humble to be of anything close to that Elder Dragon. Jace found himself shuddering within the fabrics of his clothes. This energy was...familiarly genial, warm, and loving.

Catori approached the man with little need to bow or even kneel when the elder dismounted. Jace found himself unusually small the more the man approached; the man stood half a head taller than he did, and his broad chest did not help that factor any further.

"You must be Jace the Mind Sculptor," The man regarded warmly. He gave a quick nod of his head. "I am Kaiju Vuthair. I used to be Catori's mentor."

Jace returned the nod with a more inclined bow of his head and replied, "He spoke much of you. I can see now why."

"And you can explore my mind all you like," Kaiju added. "I hide no secrets from a telepath."

Jace's head jerked up. He had permission? He turned to Catori and watched the Wolf nod. Jace licked his lips out of nerves and reached to the man's.

His mind was swept with emotions as a radiating light like the sun enveloped him. He could see that Kaiju's mind was his farm, seeing golden apparitions of young children and close family members. He could see that Kaiju was not among them, but he felt a powerful entity behind him. Slowly, hesitantly...he turned.

A Dragon towered behind him. His scales were like onyx gemstones whilst his belly was of ruby. He had two sets of horns, the first pair a set of antlers reaching back and upwards to the heavens like tree branches caressing the sun. The second set formed like an archer's bow along a long jowl, chin pronged but bearded, and a sheen of a mustache and long whiskers of deep gold and red. He had a long serpentine body and grand membraned wings of thickest hide as wide as his length. His tail twitched in a feline manner, feathered to its longest end.

Eyes of garnet embers laid upon Jace. The Telepath found himself seized by fright due to the Dragon's size: comparably, Jace stood just under three feet from the top lip of the Dragon's maw. He quickly realized how small he was, and even then, how small Nicol Bolas would be compared to this beast. However, because Kaiju's mind was so warm and so peacefully calm, Jace's fear easily subsided. He found himself staring in child-like wonder at the Dragon.

You know of who I am, Kaiju explained to him plainly. I am the reigning Dragon of Terralis. I am Father, I am Teacher, I am Knight, and I am the King of this very planet. I hold no hostility unto anyone, and nor would I do so to a young man who wandered lost, heavy-hearted, and alone for many years. I offer you but the truth of my mind, and the truth of my very heart. You have nothing to fear from me.

Jace found his mind falling apart. The longer he stayed in the presence of the Dragon, he could see his memories, even those he erased, through the Dragon's eyes. He felt the deep frustration and sorrow he had harbored for so long flood through him in a wave of emotions.

With no knowing of his reaction, tears flooded the edge of his eyes and cascaded over his cheeks. He did not know why...all he knew was the tears that poured through him while his memories reflected back at him. He reached out, his hands shaking, seeking something to hold him, something strong. He felt like a child that sought for the comfort of a parent.

The Dragon caught him, in mind and in the reality. Jace didn't know how, nor did he know why his emotions were heavily strong as they were. He had buried them for so many years that he had forgotten what it was like to ever feel anything. He wept. In his wave of emotions, all he could do was weep.

For the first time in Jace's life, he felt safe...


	10. Chapter Ten

When Jace was able to come to, his eyes adjusted to a dimly lit bedroom. His head was cushioned on a plush pillow, his body enveloped in warm blankets. He sat up slowly and found himself feeling light and fully healed of whatever maladies that had ailed him, physical or emotional. He turned and noted that his clothes were neatly folded nearby. The aroma that wafted from them told him they had been cleaned thoroughly, and another set of folded clothes sat by the first. There was a soft blue undertunic with a pair of simple blue-dyed cuffs bearing his broken halo and circle in its middle, his insignia made of metal, and paired with it a grander kimono of deep blue with silver trim. With the kimono were a pair of deep blue-grey hakama that powdered to a gentler shade of blue. There was, once more, the silver trim along the hem, and thick-soled, black tabi boots and a pair of socks.

Jace smiled. He sat up slowly and looked around. To his right was a tray with a cup of tea simmering nearby. He reached over and sniffed it warily. His nose was met with subtle sweetness, and he sipped. He sighed; the tea was just perfect! He drank the cup and poured himself another.

He looked about the room and took note of how clean it was. The sliding closets behind him had a space in between, a drape bearing the emblem of a white stag with golden antlers, above it a halo of a sun, and below the animal curls of what looked like crashing waves. A banner to a great kingdom, Jace guessed.

He sighed and inhaled deeply. This house...this very plane he was in, was strong with magic. He could feel the faint but ever present flow of the powerful force that was so similar to his home. He stood and prepared to dress in the secondary set of clothes his host picked for him.

When Jace was dressed, he slid the door open and made his way through the hall and down the stairs. The smell of food greeted his nose, and he chuckled. In the very dining room was Kaiju and Catori, relaxed as they can be. On the table was a bowl of rice, some vegetables and some small fish, and a boiling pot of duck. Perhaps dinner, Jace could guess. How long was he asleep?

"May I join you?" Jace asked, and Kaiju and Catori gave the Telepath acknowledged nods. Jace joined them, sitting down and pouring himself a bowl. He then realized that the only utensils he had...were a pair of small sticks. He looked at Kaiju and noticed the Dragon watching him. He turned to Catori, seeing the Wolf eat with his good eye closed, but using the sticks no differently than a fork or a spoon. Jace picked up the pair and mimicked the Wolf, finger placement and all.

"He learns quickly," Kaiju remarked. Catori gave a nod of his head, and Jace's cheeks flushed. "I, uh...it, um, came with the job description..." The Telepath felt like an idiot saying such a thing. However, his response was a warm chortle, and the Dragon responded, "It's all right, Jace."

Jace felt much better. He smiled and ate with care, trying to not burn his tongue whilst also not trying to hawk down his meal. It was delicious, the more he thought about it. He knew that a home cooked meal was often times a rare dish to find anywhere, especially in the city of Ravnica.

"Um, I-if I may, uh..." He paused; how could he address Kaiju? He shot a quick look to Catori, and the Wolf saw it in his eyes. The Wolf swallowed his food. "San. It would be Kaiju-san."

"I see," Jace hummed and looked at the Dragon again. Kaiju stayed his smile; he knew the Telepath was trying to show his deepest respect for him. Jace began again, "If I may inquire, Kaiju-san, what all has Catori explained to you about...us?"

"I know everything he's told me," Kaiju replied. "Like myself, Catori hides no secrets. Once he trusts someone of Telepathic talent such as yourself, he will allow the other person to see the fullest truth of him. Therefore, I advise that you listen to what I have to share."

Jace sat upright. Kaiju explained, "Catori tells me that you are a specialist of spy-workings. There is some moral to it, and there are no morals into that act alone. Personally I can care less of what you do. But your character on the other hand tells me you are a man of great potential, and with a heart as chivalrous as a knight's. It might not seem so to you, but in our eyes, it is quite different."

Jace nodded slowly.

"He also tells me of the, er...relationship you both are in." At that Jace felt heat rushing to his cheeks and burned his ears. The Wolf told him about themselves...about that? He nervously glanced up.

"I will not tell you how to live your life, Jace. I will not tell you how to love, nor who. That is your choice of the matter. Every person has a preference, and every once in a while, a new curiosity rises that sometimes needs satisfying. Sometimes that curiosity can even grow and become something greater, a bond between two good men, whether in brotherhood or in something else," Kaiju told him. "But in order to maintain such a trust, you both have to work into it to make it strong. You both have to be able to come to compromises when decisions clash, and sometimes you have to remember to always think of those dear to you. Family and friends are a means of support, but they cannot be used nor taken advantage of. More importantly, a family is about protection, and feeling safe and trustworthy."

Jace nodded and smiled a little. It was nice to know that Kaiju was accepting of their relationship as it stood. He could only hope that the Dragon would continue supporting them…

"Anowa isse danma Okai-san?" Jace perked at the other language Catori spoke. He never heard of that language before. From Catori's fluid tone, it was something not native to his home plane, but rather here in Terralis.

"Shae wynnare abbo'to yoru," Kaiju responded, sipping his tea. Jace cocked his head to the side as Kaiju went on, "Shae naki tahi yoru danma sa'ffi. Boku'to, shae kan-te hah'pu tahi."

Jace's mind worked the context. Shae, he guessed, meant "She", meaning a woman, yoru probably mean "you", and tahi, possibly meaning, "that". Still, they were guesses.

"What language is that?" Jace finally asked. Catori and Kaiju stayed their eyes on the Telepath. The Dragon had his usual knowing look on his face, and Catori seemed to have something similar to it despite his unbroken mask.

"It's Galeiyan," Kaiju replied, "It's a language from Catori's mother and her bloodline. It's more common with were-folk here in Terralis."

Jace nodded. "I've never heard of such a thing. It's…interesting to hear it being spoken in a plane that's still new to me."

The Dragon's smile widened to a grin. Catori gave an unreadable smile (or smirk), and Jace paused. Uh-oh…they were planning something…

"Galeiyan is broken down by simplicity at best," Kaiju told Jace. "For example, pronouns in Galeiyan can be used as possessive forms as well. Prepositional phrases are minimal, because there's no need. Descriptive adjectives can be broken down by either color, size, or sometimes animal-relatable."

Jace cocked his head. Kaiju went on, "For example, I could say Yoru l'aukusse lyik steigh. What I mean in truth is that you're thin."

Jace looked down at himself, then up at the Dragon. "Is that so?"

"To describe someone who's of large size by width, I'd say hitte l'aukusse lyik satonne. Translated, he looks like a stone, or roughly a boulder," Kaiju replied.

Jace bobbed his head. That was interesting. He asked, "How does one describe height?"

"Shoko'to is short, and Ta'ill is tall."

"And what about personality?" Jace asked. This time Catori answered him, having finished his rice. The Wolf stated, "A person's personality is defined with flavors used in food, sometimes by sound, animals, or even nature. Anyone who comes across bold and outgoing are often associated with horses, while those who're quiet are related to rabbits. Anyone who're optimistic are associated with flowers, and those who're angry are associated with storms. In Galeiyan, we would say, Tahitte danma pulansse hossu. In English, it's literally they are prancing horse or horses. A noun in Galeiyan is usable for both singular and plural."

Jace nodded. "How would you describe me?" He watched Catori's face pull into something like a thoughtful stare, head tilted to the side while he seemed to think. His ears rose and fell with thought until the Wolf replied, "In Galeiyan, they wouldn't label you with an animal, but something of nature. They'd say hitte danma lyik wan'tai."

"What is that?" Jace asked.

"It means he is like water," Kaiju replied. "It means that you have an ability to reflect someone's true colors right back at them, and that they cannot see you even though you could be standing right in front of them. It can also mean that, much like water, it is constantly moving. It's fitting for a Telepath, I think."

Jace smiled. Like water, Catori said. He turned to Catori.

What could I say to describe Catori? Jace asked Kaiju, staying his eyes on Catori as the Wolf continued to eat quietly. Kaiju glanced from the Telepath to the Wolf and back. His grin stayed.

Catori's a tough one, Kaiju admitted. He is hard to read most of the time. In Galeiyan, to describe someone who's unreadable, they say misaku. It translates to anything like a mist or a fog. Other times, they would say tsu'moku nirai, which literally means "smoky mirror". To me, Catori is suden, or "student". To him, I am danna, or "Master". Danna can also be used for teachers or anyone of older age.

Jace nodded. Catori the tsu'moku nirai, huh? It seemed fitting. But at the same time, Jace remembered the inside of Catori's mind. He saw the peaceful valley that Catori used to call home many years ago and forged into his personal paradise in his mind. He knew that particular area was well protected, and Catori ensured that with the labyrinth of reflective ice.

How do you say peaceful? Or someone who is balanced? Jace asked the Dragon. Kaiju hummed, then grinned.

Unos, He replied. It means "one whole", or rarely, "balanced". It's best for Catori because he paces himself a day at a time. He is always in the past, in the present, and in the future. That is why you still have a hard time reading his mind. He is everywhere and also in one place.

Jace smiled. It fit Catori very well. The Wolf who travelled through Time was unos, balanced and whole. He finished his dinner with the two, and after that, Kaiju went to retrieve some leather he had in a makeshift tannery. He pulled inside a large tanned cowhide, sat down and proceeded to cut pieces.

"Um, Kaiju-san?" Jace asked out of curiosity, "Just…what exactly are you doing?"

"I've been meaning to make some leather armor for you when we met, so now that you're actually here, I can make some pieces for you," The Dragon answered. Jace smiled and shook his head. He differed, "I really couldn't ask you to do that. I'm not much of a fighter..."

"No, but Catori told me of the battles ahead you'll be facing," The Dragon stated. He began to shape something like a vambrace from one piece, an exact mirror of Jace's original. The Telepath looked at it peculiarly. He told him, "What do you plan on doing with that?"

"You will need a defense weapon," Kaiju stated. "Something of an edge if an enemy gets too close."

"A hidden blade?" Jace asked. He turned and watched Catori nod. He frowned. "I...don't prefer fighting."

Kaiju stopped and looked up. Something of a scowl crossed the man's face, and Jace immediately regretted what he said. "I-uh, t-thank you very much!" The Telepath bowed and didn't look up ever again. He could hear Catori chuckle, and his ears burned.

Kaiju chuckled and shook his head. "A pacifist, of course. I understand." Jace looked up, and the Dragon continued his work. He smiled a little and turned to Catori. Since the Wolf had finished his meal and had every tray delivered back to the kitchen (with one hand), Jace decided to find himself a good book. He turned to the Dragon.

"Hey Cato, why don't you summon your library?" Kaiju asked, having guessed what the Telepath thought. Jace gulped and turned to the Wolf. Catori glanced between the two, then shrugged and snapped his fingers. In moments Jace was nose to...wall...with books and scrolls as the floor shook with a creaking THUD! The Telepath peeked from the top like a curious gopher. "How much books do you read" He quietly yelped.

"Enough to keep myself well-educated," Catori replied. He raised a hand to one book and let it float over. Jace watched Catori, then at the Dragon. He sighed and decided to read for the rest of the evening...


	11. Chapter Eleven

By morning Jace woke to the sound of earth being turned over. He groaned softly, his nose met with an air of dirt and herbs. He tossed the blankets over his head in protest.

"Jace?" A voice spoke softly by his door. The Telepath peeked and took notice that Catori was in a kimono near his futon. He smiled at the midnight hair that curtained over the Wolf's eye, the side ponytail loosely draped over his shoulders. He flipped the edge of the bed and pulled the Wolf into his arms.

"Ah, J-Jace!" Catori yelped. He looked up at the Telepath, but the man held him much closer. The Wolf could feel Jace's breath on his forehead and ears, and his face warmed. He tried to push the other away. "Jace...!"

"Let me hold you," The Telepath asked quietly. He felt Catori stiffen under his arms and smiled. he had never held Catori before. The soft silk of the kimono tickled his chest as Catori's hand tentatively rested on his arm. His nose picked up a soft aroma of woodland musk of pine and cedar, with some crisp mint like snow in the scent in the Wolf's hair. His leg wrapped around Catori's waist, unknowingly stroking a...particular area.

"Mm!" Catori reflexively flinched from the movement, legs tucking close. Jace felt heat rise in the Wolf's ears. He cocked his head to the side and leaned in. His breath brushed the inside of Catori's ears. They twitched. Catori shook his head and grumbled, "Jace...stop..."

"Why?" Jace asked. It was an honest question. Jace didn't want to stop. He wanted more reactions, testing to see how far he could push the Wolf. He breathed again, this time Catori turning away. A movement of rattling from the Wolf's tail told Jace that Catori was irritated, and to push it further, he pulled him closer. He snuck around Catori's hips and found the base of the Wolf's tail. He stroked along the silk fur.

"Ah-Aaahh! Jace!" Catori whined. He tried pushing away, but Jace had him held tight. His fingers entangled in Catori's fur, stroking it. He noticed Catori's face warming even redder than normal, and reached to the base of his tail again. Much to his surprise, he felt the Wolf arch, the tail shaking. His lips turned Catori's head to the pillows and sought for the Wolf's neck.

"J-Jace...no!" Catori pleaded. His breath hitched as the Telepath's lips found the nook of his neck and collarbone, and he arched more strongly. Jace pulled Catori closer, hand abandoning the tail in favor of the Wolf's rear end. He grasped in want. A growl resonated in the Telepath's throat, possessive and dominating. The noise was enough; in seconds Catori whined and gave his neck. Jace licked and kissed to his leisure while stroking Catori's thigh and leg.

"Let me touch you," Jace spoke. The Wolf gave a refusing grunt, but Jace growled again. Catori's faced reddened, ears flattened to his head and warm as his face. Jace's hand that wandered from his leg reached to the obi and unknotted the cloth. He tore the belt away and felt Catori's chest. Not a hair on him, and soft skin. Jace's ear trailed to his heart and listened carefully. He smiled; the erratic thudding danced in his eardrums. His tongue licked at Catori's chest, and his hand roamed further to below his waist. A thin sheen of fur covered his sentitivities, and Jace hummed.

"This won't do..." He muttered. His fingers played along the Wolf's pair, all the while willing a polymorph spell to change Catori below. The heavy sacks of flesh with Catori's cock inverted inwards, and dryness was replaced with swelling moisture. It stirred Jace, as it did Catori. A strangle moan escaped the Wolf. Jace grinned and played with him further. His fingers glossed the fleshy lips, every once in a while sliding inwards and stroking the moist warmth inside. Catori wriggled under his weight. "Nnnggg, mmmm!"

Jace's lips latched to Catori's. A thrill rippled through Jace's blood in a heated torrent. He wanted this. He wanted the Wolf so much that he hadn't comprehended that he'd be allowed to go this far. It couldn't be helped from here on out. Jace knew that, once he'd follow his instincts, the drive to connect, there was no turning back.

His hips worked its way between Catori's, his left hand knotted to Catori's right, his other seeking out his arousal. He stroked himself, realizing how hard and stirred he was. His hand grasped Catori's hips, and with a hard thrust, entered the Wolf.

Catori tensed as a muffled cry erupted in Jace's lips. He almost curled, but the Telepath was already over his body, and there was no escaping this. A tear dribbled freely from his eye. Jace pulled away and nuzzled the shuddering Wolf. His hand went limp. Jace held Catori's face and pulled back, watching his only golden eye. He told Catori, "I'm sorry...but I want you. I want you...so much." To prove his point he arched deeper, and Catori choked in a gasp.

Jace felt the Wolf shake under his weight. He succeeded in pushing Catori to his comfort limit. He knew the Wolf didn't know what to think, or even how. He only knew what Jace was doing. Was he frightened? The Telepath could see it in the Wolf's eyes clear as glass. Jace arched deeper, reaching his full length and pulled back. His hips rocked into a slow rhythm. To his delight, the Wolf's head fell back, and a sigh escaped his lips. He was Jace's...

The Telepath pulled Catori in a tight embrace and continued his steady movements. He wanted to please his partner, coax him out of the fright he had cornered the Wolf into. His lips sought for Catori's, sweet taste entangled in the other. His ears picked up the Wolf's stifled sighs turning into moans, and he sped up. His hands grasped his hips, picking it up a little for better movement. Catori wrapped his arm around the Telepath's neck, and that alone coaxed Jace to full speed.

Head buried into Catori's shoulder, Jace threw in his full weight. Every thrust breached into the depths of Catori's mind, clouding it, his blood pumping so fast that the Wolf was ensnared in a pleasurable nirvana. Jace chased him, lips hunting, hands grappling. His voice came free in heated moans as his hips tensed.

Jace knew his climax was nearing. His thrusts heaved into the Wolf, jolting him. His moans grew in volume, the heat of the room swimming in his head. Catori's woodland scent stung his nose, his lips latched to the Telepath's neck. Teeth dug into his skin, and claws buried into his back. Jace cried out, and his body jolted. Pulses rippled throughout his hips as fluids pumped into the Wolf. Jace breathed, dripping hot in sweat, but his hips nearly glued with Catori's until he had filled him. He pushed himself to his elbows and studied Catori.

Catori's lips had pulled into a crooked and weary smile, his cheeks pink and eye watered over. His breaths tickled Jace's lips and nose as he gulped. Jace smiled; he was pleased. He kissed him and arched to pull from the Wolf. His hips ached, and Jace collapsed on the Wolf's blind side. He pulled Catori close, both struggling to breathe in the steamed room.

"Cato..." Jace began softly. Catori turned his head, watching the Telepath at his side. He licked his lips. "...yes?"

Jace's eyes searched through Catori's golden eye. His lips couldn't form any words to describe what he felt. Fulfilled was perhaps the best one he could say, but it was a deeper fulfillment. There had been a physical connection, but Jace still was out of reach of Catori's mind. He gulped his dry throat. "I love you..."

The Wolf's eye stayed connected, but there was a gleam there, from what Jace could see. His smile pulled a little more, becoming more evident. Jace breathed; no...Catori already knew. There were no need for words in this moment, but Jace watched Catori. The Wolf spoke, "I knew...and I love you too."

Jace, as tired as he was, could not resist the leap in his heart despite his body's exhaustion, and hugged him tightly. Finally...love...


	12. Chapter Twelve

Jace and Catori stepped outside to the farm and found Kaiju in Dragon form re-lining his plantation. Upturned earth was heavily mixed with compost as the Dragon plucked random rocks free of his garden. He raised his head and watched the pair.

"Ga'yeido myalla," Kaiju greeted the two. Catori answered in turn, and Jace muttered a "good morning" to the Dragon as well. The Telepath studied the field. He cocked his head to the side.

"Just what are you doing?" Jace asked, and Kaiju turned to the Telepath. Readying the field, He answered. It's important that the earth is constant in its nutrients before the sowing starts.

"Really?" Jace asked. He watched the Dragon nod, and he continued, I've upturned this earth, sown it and harvested it for hundreds of years. Never has it failed me in producing the best I can grow, and it's never failed to sell its bounty to other farmers whose fields are not so fortunate.

Jace hummed. "Even in the poorest of land, farmers still turn to you?"

Of course, Kaiju replied, A man must work with his land, give it the best it will need to grow the return of his labors. If a man does not work his field, a man cannot call himself a "true" working man until the day his nails are full of dirt in the summer and warm and fed in the winter.

Jace hummed and nodded. He watched the Dragon straighten his rows and stood up. He faced Kaiju. "What can I do to help?"

The earth needs to sit for three days, Kaiju explained to the Telepath, Then we'll coat the top soil with dried manure. After that, we can sow the seeds. When we start having buds, we'll go over the rows with mulch to prevent weeds.

Jace nodded. He looked over the plantation and smiled softly to himself; the Dragon took great care in his land, and it made Jace feel forlorn. Ravnica was such a heavy city plane, it was hard to find a nice courtyard garden to hide in and relax. Still though, he knew what to do with that balcony of his when they would return...

Jace. The Telepath broke from his wandering and looked up at Kaiju. Catori tells me that with the event of the Maze arriving soon that you will need proper training to prepare yourself.

Jace frowned. "I don't favor fighting. If I have to resort to mind control to save myself I will."

It will not save you, Kaiju differed, Your weakness is your neck, the blood flow to and from your mind. Your enemies will want to take advantage of a battle and choke you until you die. You need to defend yourself. We will teach you.

Jace nodded. There was no point in arguing, and Jace had to admit; Kaiju was right. When it came to mind control or sculpting, his neck was vulnerable. If he was to be choked he'd lose focus and die. He knew that very well.

"What can I do to protect myself?" Jace asked. He watched the Dragon's maw pull into a grin. That, my friend, is the correct question. Kaiju reverted to his human form, dusting off his hands on his tunic. He turned to Jace. "Let me wash really quick and we'll begin with bokken."

"Bo-what?" Jace asked. Catori smiled and headed inside. He handed Jace a wooden katana with a plain wood crossguard. He told him, "This is a bokken. Samurai used this often when they trained in dojos. The welts left behind made better teachers and taught new students how to deflect quickly."

Jace nodded and held the bokken with his hands. However, he heard Catori laugh softly. He looked over and asked, "What is it?"

"Here," Catori showed him by standing to Jace's right. He showed him how his hand held the sword, and Jace guessed the left would have held the bottom edge of the sword. "You hold it with both hands. The strikes will come from your wrists and elbows. You have to work with it to help harmonize your strikes."

"Oh..." Jace nodded and followed Catori's instruction. He lined his thumbs and feinted a high strike. Catori nodded and retrieved another for himself. He barked, "Come at me."

Jace paused and nodded. He lunged, and Catori braced well against the first stroke. The Wolf pushed him back, and Jace found himself stumbling a little. He breathed deeply and went again. His weight was full against this attack, and he found Catori having to bend a little to support himself. However, the Wolf swept his bokken out from under his, and a sharp prod landed at Jace's shoulder. Jace skidded back several feet, a full thirty feet from the Wolf. So much power!

"Ow!" Jace yelped. He felt his shoulder and rolled it. No…it was barely a prod! How did he have so much power? Jace breathed and walked forward. He was in no place to call in giving up.

An odd smile formed on Catori's face, and Jace cocked his head to the side. He asked, What is it?

Your mind, Catori replied, You have a drive to prove something, that you won't walk away from training. I want you to keep at it. Show me that you're willing to fight with everything you have.

Jace perked. Catori…wanted him to prove himself? The Telepath smiled confidently. Okay! Here I go! Jace charged again, this time with the fullest amount of power he had. He slammed against Catori, the Wolf skidding a hard heel into the dirt. He slowly rose against Jace, the Telepath about half a head taller than the Wolf, and proceeded to take shaky steps forward.

Jace's eyes widened; there was no way! He pushed hard, and Catori fought back. Jace glanced to the dirt, and in place of Catori's usual human feet were wolf paws under the hem of his hakama. Retracted claws dug into the stone and dirt, and Jace found his arms shaking. He was not going to be able to hold.

Jace and Catori tore apart. They lunged and collided again. Another break, and Jace decided to go for a high guard. The Wolf's bokken swept under, slamming into Jace's chest. Jace, however, thought quick and spun, avoiding the attack. He swept the bokken under and along Catori's back. A surprised yelp escaped the Wolf. He turned, watching Jace. Jace stood, taking his breath. He felt a heavy welt along his chest. It wasn't from the contact of the bokken. It was the wind that Catori had behind it.

Jace and Catori stared at one another. A thought crossed their minds: Right now, with Catori's missing arm, they were relatively tied. They knew that…and accepted it. Jace and Catori lunged again…

When Kaiju had finished cleaning up, the Dragon stepped outside to find the two seated on the ground, head to toe in bruises and sweat-ridden. He blinked at the two; it wasn't the fact that they were bruised in every way possible, it was the aftermath that Kaiju found surprising – they both were laughing, as if they had enjoyed the spar. Kaiju blinked and shook his head. "What in hell did I miss?"

"A match!" Catori huffed, raising his arm to Jace. "The man can keep up!"

"You said that I had something to prove, right?" Jace asked, also huffing tiredly. "I showed you!"

Catori laughed joyfully. "That you did!" Jace laughed with him. He turned to Kaiju and noted a look of pride on his face. He was proud of Catori and Jace, even though he had missed the match entirely while he bathed. However, his eyes looked over the bruises, and he was guessing who landed where. His smile pulled into a grin.

"All right you two, in the house," Kaiju walked over and gave the two a heave to their feet. "And get cleaned up! You both stink!"

"Says old Gramps," Catori teased, and Jace grinned, rubbing his head. He muttered, "Do we really smell that bad?" Kaiju shook his head at that one. He remarked, "Hey, just because you're not of my blood doesn't mean I don't look out for you two like I did my boys! And yes, Jace, you both stink like you've been in my barn for a month. Go bathe!"

Jace nodded, and he headed to the bathroom first. Catori was kept outside and bathed outside in Wolf form. The heat of the sun warmed the bucket of water Kaiju used for the Wolf, and Catori loved it. Jace could hear Kaiju talking to him as he soaked in the hot water.

His bruises hurt. He never knew that he could take a beating as heavy as Catori could hit. As far as he knew, he was so used to avoiding conflict that he hadn't realized how much strength and endurance his body had picked up from his days travelling through the planes and climbing mountains. He smiled, proud of himself. He was able to stand up to Catori, and even more, he was learning from his bruises. Where one hit landed, Jace learned to protect and react more quickly. His abdomen ached from having been tense so much, but it was a workout he asked for.

Jace sighed and inhaled the surroundings. Kaiju's home…it was hard to think that thought in a large house such as this. It was so welcoming, and so warm and peaceful. It was a house built to the liking of a farming Dragon and a sovereign of kingdoms. It was homely, compared to Jace's apartment in Ravnica.

Jace's stiffness caught up as he stepped out of the tub. He winced; he'd have to ask Kaiju to take a look at the bruises…he dressed in a fresh set of kimono and hakama and slipped on his tabi socks and sandals. He stepped outside and watched Catori shake his fur, water spraying everywhere. Kaiju howled and proceeded to storm up to the Wolf. Catori however scampered from Kaiju and sat until the Dragon turned. He then stole his drying rag, and Kaiju chased him around the farm.

Jace laughed. Catori definitely showed his love for his mentor, and Kaiju returned it in kind. He sighed and frowned. His childhood was very different. Had he known Catori at an earlier age, he knew they would have become fast friends for life. But things were different; that relationship was a step further than being friends. And Jace would happily defend it with his life.

Catori paused and found Jace's mind wandering. He stopped running from his master and watched Jace for a long moment. Kaiju bumped into the Wolf and asked, "What is it?"

Catori didn't answer, watching Jace. Kaiju turned, studying the Telepath. He averted his attention to Catori. "He's just thinking, don't worry about him."

Catori grumbled and nodded, and Kaiju brushed his fur, piling another basket of old winter pelt. When Catori noticed it, he then perked and nosed the Dragon. He summoned the basket of shed pelt he had a month ago, and Kaiju laughed.

"You've shed a second of yourself!" Kaiju laughed and picked up the fur that Catori had shed onto the basket he summoned. Jace perked at the sight. He facepalmed. "Catori, you're really wanting me to make that cloak, don't you?"

"I supposes it's fair enough," Kaiju decided. "I know of a weaver in town. She'll make you a good thick cloak, I promise." Jace nodded. He then stated, "I'll compensate the trouble, friend." He was about to pull out some coin, but Kaiju shook his head in refusal. He replied, "Don't you worry about paying me. Worry about yourself first."

"Very well," Jace agreed.


End file.
